Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततस्त्वभ्यवसृत्यैव संग्रामादुत्तरां दिशम्‌

Transliteration

tatastvabhyavasṛtyaiva saṅgrāmād uttarāṃ diśam

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, withdrawing at once from the battlefield, he moved toward the northern quarter.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस्
• Form: indeclinable (ablatival adverb)

• तु: but; indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु
• Form: indeclinable (particle)

• अभ्यवसृत्य: having withdrawn/retreated
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अव + √सृ (सरणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), indeclinable

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: indeclinable (emphatic particle)

• संग्रामात्: from the battle
• संग्रामात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• उत्तराम्: northern
• उत्तराम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• saṅgrāma (battlefield)
• uttarā diś (northern direction)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within warfare, actions like withdrawal and repositioning reflect discernment and restraint; the verse highlights that not every moment demands escalation—sometimes prudence and tactical retreat are necessary to preserve life and fulfill one’s larger duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a combatant (implied by context) immediately pulls back from the fighting and heads toward the northern direction, indicating a shift in the battle’s movement—likely a retreat or regrouping maneuver.