Shloka 3

Devanagari script

शकुनेस्तद्‌ वच: श्रुत्वा तमूचुर्भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

śakunes tad vacaḥ śrutvā tam ūcur bharatarṣabha

Translation

Sañjaya said: Hearing Śakuni’s words, they addressed him—O bull among the Bharatas—replying to his counsel amid the war’s charged moral air.

Word by Word

• शकुनेः: of Shakuni
• शकुनेः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas (best of the Bharatas)
• भरतर्षभ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śakuni
• Bharatarṣabha (epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of counsel and response: in moments of conflict, words shape decisions, and hearing a strategist like Śakuni prompts immediate deliberation—reminding readers that speech and advice can steer actions toward or away from dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Sañjaya’s report to the Kuru king, Śakuni has spoken; after hearing him, the assembled party replies to him. The line functions as a narrative hinge, moving from Śakuni’s counsel to the group’s response.