Shloka 33

Devanagari script

प्रासेन सहदेवस्य शिरसि प्राहरद्‌ भृूशम्‌ । नरेश्वर! घोड़ेकी पीठपर बैठा हुआ आपका पुत्र दुर्योधन सहदेवके सामने आया। उसने बड़े यत्नसे सहदेवके मस्तकपर शीघ्रतापूर्वक प्रासका प्रहार किया ।। सोपाविशद्‌ रथोपस्थे तव पुत्रेण ताडित:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | prāsena sahadevasya śirasi prāharad bhṛśam | nareśvara! ghodekī pīṭhapar baiṭhā huā āpakā putra duryodhana sahadeva ke sāmane āyā | usne baṛe yatna se sahadeva ke mastak par śīghratāpūrvak prāsa kā prahāra kiyā || sopāviśad rathopasthe tava putreṇa tāḍitaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: O king, your son Duryodhana, mounted on horseback, advanced to face Sahadeva. With great force and urgency he struck Sahadeva on the head with a spear. Wounded by your son’s blow, Sahadeva sank down upon the chariot-seat.

Word by Word

प्रासेनwith a spear

सहदेवस्यof Sahadeva

शिरसिon (the) head

प्राहरत्struck

भृशम्violently; greatly

सोपाविशत्sat down; took a seat

रथोपस्थेon the chariot-seat

तवof you; your

पुत्रेणby (your) son

ताडितःstruck; beaten

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by nareśvara/tava)

Duryodhana

Sahadeva

prāsa (spear)

ratha (chariot)

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 the harsh reality of righteous war: a warrior must face sudden, violent reversals with steadiness. It also reflects the ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma—valor and persistence are demanded even when injury and fear threaten to overwhelm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana rides up to confront Sahadeva and strikes him on the head with a spear. The blow is so severe that Sahadeva, wounded, collapses/sits down on the chariot-seat.