Shloka 3

Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)

Devanagari script

कृतवर्मा, कृपाचार्य, पराक्रमी द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा तथा मन्दबुद्धि राजा दुर्योधनने उस समय क्या किया? ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | samprādravatsu dāreṣu kṣatriyāṇāṁ mahātmanām | vidrute śibire śūnye bhṛśoddhignās trayo rathāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, when the wives of the high-souled Kṣatriya warriors fled in panic, and the camp became deserted as everyone scattered, those three great chariot-fighters were seized by intense alarm.

Word by Word

• संजय: Sanjaya
• संजय: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• सम्प्राद्रवत्सु: when (they) had run away / in (the state of) having fled
• सम्प्राद्रवत्सु: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-द्रु (धाव्/द्रु)
• Form: Kta (past participle) used adjectivally, Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• दारेषु: among the wives
• दारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kshatriyas
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• विद्रुते: when (it/they) had fled
• विद्रुते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-द्रु (धाव्/द्रु)
• Form: Kta (past participle), Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शिबिरे: in the camp
• शिबिरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शून्ये: empty
• शून्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भृशम्: exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम्

• उद्धिग्नाः: agitated, alarmed
• उद्धिग्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-धिज्/धिग् (उद्+धिग्) / उद्धिग्न
• Form: Past participle (kta) used adjectivally, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथाः: chariot-warriors / chariots (here: chariot-warriors)
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'rājan')
• wives of Kṣatriya warriors
• the camp (śibira)
• three chariot-fighters (trayo rathāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how adharma in war produces social and psychological ruin: when violence overwhelms restraint, even noncombatants and family spaces are destabilized, and the remaining warriors act from fear and agitation rather than righteous duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that the camp has emptied as people flee; the wives of the warriors run in terror, and in that deserted camp the three principal chariot-fighters (contextually the surviving Kaurava champions) become intensely alarmed.