Shloka 25

Devanagari script

हाहाभूतं जगच्चासीद्‌ दृष्टवा राजानमाहवे

Transliteration

hāhābhūtaṁ jagaccāsīd dṛṣṭvā rājānam āhave

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing the king on the battlefield, the whole world seemed to cry out in lamentation—“Alas, alas!”—as if overcome by grief at that fateful moment in war.

Word by Word

• हाहा: alas! (cry of lament)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हाहा (उद्गार)

• अभूतम्: became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Active

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• राजा (the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral and emotional cost of war: even the presence or plight of a king in battle can turn collective attention toward grief and foreboding, reminding the listener that power and status do not shield one from suffering or the consequences of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where, upon seeing the king in the midst of combat, the atmosphere becomes one of universal lamentation—suggesting a shocking or ominous sight that causes widespread distress among observers.