Shloka 23

Devanagari script

हतशेषं बल॑ तत्‌ तु पाण्डवानामतिष्ठत । अस्त्रव्युपरमाद्धुष्टं तव पुत्रजिघांसया,पाण्डवोंकी जो सेना मरनेसे बच गयी थी, वह उस अस्त्रके शान्त हो जानेसे पुनः आपके पुत्रोंका विनाश करनेके लिये हर्षसे खिल उठी

Transliteration

hataśeṣaṃ balaṃ tat tu pāṇḍavānām atiṣṭhata | astravyuparāmād dhuṣṭaṃ tava putrajighāṃsayā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The remnant of the Pāṇḍavas’ army—those who had survived the slaughter—stood firm again. When the discharge of weapons subsided, that force, intent on the destruction of your sons, rose up with renewed ardor, driven by the grim resolve to finish the task of war.

Word by Word

हतशेषम्the remnant left after being slain

बलम्army/force

तत्that

तुbut/indeed

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pāṇḍavas

अतिष्ठतstood/remained

अस्त्रव्युपरमात्from the cessation of the missile-usage (from the stopping of the astras)

हृष्टम्delighted/cheered

तवyour

पुत्रजिघांसयाby/with the desire to slay (your) sons

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')

Kauravas (implied by 'your sons')

astra (weapons/missiles)

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 how, in war, even a battered force can regain cohesion once immediate danger (the barrage of weapons) ceases; it also exposes the ethical tension of vengeance—survival quickly turns into renewed intent to destroy the opponent, showing how violence perpetuates itself through resolve and retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the surviving portion of the Pāṇḍava army, after the weapon-assault subsides, steadies itself and becomes energized again, determined to kill Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (the Kauravas).