Shloka 76

अर्जुनस्य गुरुधर्मविलापः तथा शैनेयकर्णयोर्युद्धारम्भः | Arjuna’s Lament on Guru-Dharma and the Opening of the Sātyaki–Karṇa Duel

Devanagari script

व्याप्रा इव जिघांसन्तस्त्वदीया: समुपाद्रवन्‌ । मतवाले हाथीके समान पराक्रमी और मदोनन्‍्मत्त गजराजके समान मन्दगतिसे चलनेवाले सात्यकि जब मदस्रावी मातंगके समान कौरव-सैनिकोंके मध्यभागमें खड़े हुए, उस समय आपके योद्धा उन्हें मार डालनेकी इच्छासे भूखे बाघोंके समान उनपर टूट पड़े

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vyāghrā iva jighāṃsantas tvadīyāḥ samupādravan |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Your warriors rushed forward, intent on killing, like tigers. When Sātyaki stood firm amid the Kaurava ranks like a rutting elephant—mighty, slow-moving as a lordly bull-elephant—your fighters sprang upon him with the hunger to slay.

Word by Word

• व्याघ्राः: tigers
• व्याघ्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• जिघांसन्तः: wishing to kill / intending to slay
• जिघांसन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle), Present (participial)

• त्वदीयाः: your (men/warriors)
• त्वदीयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समुपाद्रवन्: rushed upon / attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by tvadīyāḥ)
• Kaurava warriors (tvadīyāḥ)
• Sātyaki (from the accompanying narrative gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, intention (jighāṃsā—desire to kill) can eclipse discernment and restraint: warriors move as a pack driven by predatory impulse. It implicitly contrasts dharma-guided action with action propelled by rage and bloodlust.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava fighters collectively rush to attack, likened to tigers. In context, this surge is directed against the formidable Sātyaki standing amid their forces, prompting a concentrated assault.