Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सर्वे ते व्यथिता: सैन्यास्त्वदीया भरतर्षभ । श्रुत्वा महाबलस्योग्रां प्रतिज्ञां सव्यसाचिन:,भरतश्रेष्ठ! हाथी, घोड़े आदि वाहन मल-मूत्र करने और रोने लगे। उन सब भयंकर एवं रोमांचकारी उत्पातोंको देखकर और महाबली सव्यसाची अर्जुनकी उस भयंकर प्रतिज्ञाको सुनकर आपके सभी सैनिक व्यथित हो उठे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

sarve te vyathitāḥ sainyās tvadīyā bharatarṣabha |

śrutvā mahābalasyogrāṃ pratijñāṃ savyasācinaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O bull among the Bharatas, all your troops were shaken and distressed when they heard the fierce vow of the mighty Savyasācin (Arjuna).

Word by Word

सर्वेall

तेthey / those

व्यथिताःdistressed, pained

सैन्याःsoldiers

त्वदीयाःyour

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

महाबलस्यof the mighty-strong one

उग्राम्fierce, terrible

प्रतिज्ञाम्vow, pledge

सव्यसाचिनःof Savyasācin (Arjuna), the ambidextrous archer

भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'bharatarṣabha')

Arjuna (Savyasācin)

Kaurava army (tvadīyāḥ sainyāḥ)

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?

A warrior’s solemn vow (pratijñā) carries ethical and psychological weight: it binds the speaker to a course of action and simultaneously affects the morale of others. In a dharma-framed war, such resolve is portrayed as a force that can alter the battlefield even before weapons strike.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava troops became deeply agitated upon hearing Arjuna—renowned as Savyasācin—make a fierce vow. The statement highlights the immediate impact of Arjuna’s declaration on the opposing army’s confidence.