Shloka 28

Devanagari script

वार्यमाणा: शकुनिना तैश्न योधैर्महाबलै: । संनद्धा युद्धकुशला रौद्ररूपा महाबला:,यद्यपि शकुनिने उन्हें मना किया, अन्यान्य महाबली योद्धाओंने भी उन्हें रोका, तथापि वे युद्धकुशल, महाबली रौद्ररूपधारी क्षत्रिय कवच आदिसे सुसज्जित हो युद्धके लिये निकल पड़े

Transliteration

vāryamāṇāḥ śakuninā taiś ca yodhair mahābalaiḥ | sannaddhā yuddhakuśalā raudrarūpā mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Though Śakuni tried to restrain them, and other mighty warriors also held them back, they—armored and fully equipped, skilled in battle, of fierce aspect and great strength—still surged forth, intent on war.

Word by Word

वार्यमाणाःbeing restrained / being held back

शकुनिनाby Shakuni

तैःby those

योधैःby warriors

महाबलैःvery strong / of great strength

संनद्धाःarmoured / fully equipped

युद्धकुशलाःskilled in battle

रौद्ररूपाःof fierce appearance

महाबलाःvery strong

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śakuni

mahābalāḥ yodhāḥ (mighty warriors)

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 highlights the ethical tension between prudent restraint and the warrior impulse: even when advised to stop, the force of anger, pride, and battlefield duty (as they perceive it) can propel fighters into violence, illustrating how difficult it is to reverse the course of war once passions are inflamed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Śakuni and other powerful warriors attempt to hold certain fighters back, but those warriors—fully armored, battle-skilled, and fierce-looking—nevertheless advance toward combat.