Shloka 523

Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ

Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा सैन्धवर्क संख्ये शममस्मासु धास्यति । 'क्या युद्धमें सिंधुराजको अर्जुनके हाथसे मारा गया देखकर राजा दुर्योधन हमारे साथ संधि कर लेगा?

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā saindhavarkaṃ saṅkhye śamam asmāsu dhāsyati |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Seeing the Saindhava prince struck down in the thick of battle, will King Duryodhana at last lay aside hostility and make peace with us?”

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage-neutral), non-finite

• सैन्धवराजम्: the king of Sindhu (Jayadratha)
• सैन्धवराजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्धवराज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सङ्ख्ये: in battle
• सङ्ख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ख्य
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• शमम्: peace, truce
• शमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्मासु: with us / among us
• अस्मासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Plural

• धास्यति: will place/establish (i.e., will make/enter into)
• धास्यति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा
• Form: लृट् (simple future), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Singular, Active

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Saindhava (Jayadratha)
• Arjuna
• Sindhu (country/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral-political hope that the shock of a grievous loss might awaken restraint and lead to reconciliation. It implicitly contrasts the possibility of śama (peace) with the stubborn continuation of adharma-driven hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, wonders whether Duryodhana will agree to peace after witnessing the Saindhava (Jayadratha)—a crucial ally—being slain by Arjuna in the battlefield.