Shloka 18

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

ज्याक्षेपशरवर्षाणां शस्त्राणां च सहिष्णव: । आशंसन्त: पराज्जेतुं जितश्वासा जितव्यथा:,जिनके रंग लाल थे, जो विशाल एवं दृढ़ शरीरवाले थे, जिन्हें सोनेकी जालियोंसे आच्छादित किया जाता था, जो रथमें जोते जानेपर वायुके समान वेगसे चलते थे, संग्राममें सब प्रकारके शस्त्रोंद्वारा किये जानेवाले प्रहारको बचा जाते थे, जो बलवान, सुशिक्षित और रथको अच्छी तरह वहन करनेवाले थे, रणभूमिमें जो दृढ़तापूर्वक डटे रहते और जोर- जोरसे हिनहिनाते थे, धनुषोंकी टंकारके साथ होनेवाली बाणवर्षा तथा अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके आधघातको सहन करनेमें समर्थ एवं शत्रुओंको जीतनेका उत्साह रखनेवाले थे, जो पीड़ा तथा श्वासको जीत चुके थे, वे सिन्धुदेशीय घोड़े युद्ध-स्थलमें चिग्घाड़ते हुए हाथियों और शंखों एवं नगाड़ोंकी आवाजसे घबराये तो नहीं थे?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

jyākṣepaśaravarṣāṇāṁ śastrāṇāṁ ca sahiṣṇavaḥ |

āśaṁsantaḥ parājjetuṁ jitaśvāsā jitavyathāḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Those (Sindhu) horses—able to endure the snap of bowstrings and the rain of arrows, and also the blows of weapons; hoping to vanquish the foe; having mastered their breath and overcome pain—did they not lose heart on the battlefield?”

Word by Word

ज्याक्षेप-शर-वर्षाणाम्of showers of arrows released with the bowstring’s snap

शस्त्राणाम्of weapons

चand

सहिष्णवःenduring, able to bear

आशंसन्तःhoping, expecting

पराजेतुम्to defeat

जित-श्वासाःthose whose breath is conquered (unwearied)

जित-व्यथाःthose whose pain/distress is conquered

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sindhu-deśīya aśvāḥ (horses of Sindhu region)

jyā (bowstring)

śara (arrows)

śastra (weapons)

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 battlefield steadiness: true martial fitness is not only physical strength but the capacity to endure shock (sound, missiles, blows) without panic—symbolized by ‘conquering breath’ and ‘conquering pain.’

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya (implicitly) whether the famed Sindhu-region horses—trained to withstand arrow-showers and weapon-strikes—remained unafraid amid the terrifying din and pressure of combat.