Shloka 1

Devanagari script

#5०3८६>- हु # अष्टचत्वारिशोड ध्याय: श्वेतका महाभयंकर पराक्रम और भीष्मके द्वारा उसका वध धृतराष्ट्र रवाच एवं श्वेते महेष्वासे प्राप्ते शल्यरथं प्रति । कुरव: पाण्डवेयाश्व॒ किमकुर्वत संजय

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | evaṁ śvete mahēṣvāse prāpte śalyarathaṁ prati | kuravaḥ pāṇḍaveyāś ca kim akurvata sañjaya ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “When Śveta, that mighty archer, advanced against Śalya’s chariot, what did the Kurus and the sons of Pāṇḍu do then, O Sañjaya?”

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

श्वेतेwhen/while (the warrior) Shveta (was present)

महेष्वासेin/with the great archer

प्राप्तेhaving arrived / when (he) had come

शल्यरथम्the chariot of Shalya

प्रतिtowards / against

कुरवःthe Kurus

पाण्डवेयाःthe sons/party of the Pandavas

चand

किम्what

अकुर्वतdid

संजयO Sanjaya

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

Śveta

Śalya

Kurus (Kauravas)

Pāṇḍavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical attention on conduct in crisis: when a formidable warrior advances, the decisive question is not only who is strong, but how each side responds—through courage, strategy, restraint, and adherence to duty amid the chaos of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe the battlefield reaction when Śveta, a powerful archer, comes forward to engage Śalya’s chariot—prompting an account of the immediate actions taken by both the Kuru and Pāṇḍava forces.