Shloka 42

भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः

Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā

Devanagari script

आहुः केचिद्धते सूते प्रयातो यत्र सौबल:

Transliteration

āhuḥ kecid dhate sūte prayāto yatra saubalaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Some reported that, once the charioteer had been slain, the son of Subala (Śakuni) departed for the place where he had gone.

Word by Word

• आहुः: they said / they have said
• आहुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (ब्रू/वच्-अर्थे)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक: क- सर्वनाम) + चित्
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हते: when (he) was slain / upon being killed
• हते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सूते: in/when the charioteer (Sūta) (was slain)
• सूते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• प्रयातः: departed / went forth
• प्रयातः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-या (धातु) → प्रयात (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)

• सौबलः: the son of Subala (Śakuni)
• सौबलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Saubala (Śakuni)
• Sūta (charioteer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, information is fragmented and often rumor-based; the fall of a key support figure (like a charioteer) can trigger rapid, consequential movements by leaders, reminding readers to weigh reports carefully and recognize how dependent power is on supporting roles.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya relays that some people claimed that after the charioteer was killed, Śakuni (Saubala) moved off toward a particular location—indicating shifting positions amid the chaos of the Shalya Parva battle scenes.