Shloka 35

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

वृन्दारकः सुहस्तश्न सुषेणो दीर्घलोचन: । अभयो रौद्रकर्मा च सुवर्मा दुर्विमोचन:,महाराज! उस समय आपके पुत्रोंने भीमसेनका सामना करके उन्हें रोका। दुःशल, चित्रसेन, कुण्डभेदी, विविंशति, दुर्मुख, दुःसह, विवर्ण, शल, विन्द, अनुविन्द, सुमुख, दीर्घबाहु, सुदर्शन, वृन्दारक, सुहस्त, सुषेण, दीर्घलोचन, अभय, रौद्रकर्मा, सुवर्मा और दुर्विमोचन--इन शोभाशाली रथिश्रेष्ठ वीरोंने अपने सैनिकों और सेवकोंके साथ सावधान एवं प्रयत्नशील होकर समरांगणमें भीमसेनपर धावा किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vṛndārakaḥ suhastaś ca suṣeṇo dīrghalocanaḥ |

abhayo raudrakarmā ca suvarmā durvimochanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Vṛndāraka, Suhasta, Suṣeṇa, Dīrghalocana, Abhaya, Raudrakarmā, Suvarmā, and Durvimochana—these prominent Kaurava warriors, acting with alertness and concerted effort, advanced in battle to confront Bhīmasena and hold him back. The scene underscores a central ethic of the war narrative: when a formidable force surges forward, the opposing side responds through collective duty and disciplined resistance, even as the struggle intensifies toward greater violence.

Word by Word

वृन्दारकःVrindaraka (proper name)

सुहस्तःSuhasta (proper name; 'good-handed')

चand

सुषेणःSushena (proper name; 'having a good army')

दीर्घलोचनःDirghalochana (proper name; 'long-eyed')

अभयःAbhaya (proper name; 'fearless')

रौद्रकर्माRaudrakarman (proper name; 'one whose deeds are fierce')

चand

सुवर्माSuvarman (proper name; 'having good armor')

दुर्विमोचनःDurvimochana (proper name; 'hard to release/overcome')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vṛndāraka

Suhasta

Suṣeṇa

Dīrghalocana

Abhaya

Raudrakarmā

Suvarmā

Durvimochana

Bhīmasena

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 battlefield ethic of coordinated duty: when a powerful warrior advances, the opposing side must respond with disciplined, collective effort. It also reflects how names and epithets (fearless, well-armored, fierce in action) frame martial identity and the moral weight of combat in the epic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya lists a group of Kaurava fighters—Vṛndāraka through Durvimochana—who move together to confront Bhīmasena and restrain his advance in the ongoing battle of the Droṇa Parva.