Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विमृज्य नेत्रे पाणिभ्यां शोकजं बाष्पमुत्सूजन्‌ । कृपादीन्‌ स तदा वीरान्‌ सवनिव नराधिप:

Transliteration

vimṛjya netre pāṇibhyāṃ śokajaṃ bāṣpam utsṛjan | kṛpādīn sa tadā vīrān savaniva narādhipaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Wiping his eyes with both hands and letting the grief-born tears fall, the king then addressed the heroes—Kṛpa and the others—with words suited to the moment.

Word by Word

• विमृज्य: having wiped
• विमृज्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+मृज्
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), कर्तरि

• नेत्रे: the two eyes
• नेत्रे: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• पाणिभ्याम्: with (his) two hands
• पाणिभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Dual

• शोकजम्: born of grief
• शोकजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोकज
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बाष्पम्: tear(s)
• बाष्पम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाष्प
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सृजन्: letting out, shedding
• उत्सृजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+सृज्
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृपादीन्: Kripa and others
• कृपादीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपादि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: true

• वीरान्: heroes, warriors
• वीरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सवनिव: as it were / as if (particle)
• सवनिव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सवनिव
• Form: true

• नराधिपः: the king (lord of men)
• नराधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• narādhipa (the king, i.e., Duryodhana in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the human reality of grief even in a king and warrior, and the ethical need to regain composure to speak appropriately to one’s elders and allies in a crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing distressing words (contextually connected with Aśvatthāman), the king’s eyes fill with tears; he wipes them and then addresses Kṛpa and the other warriors with timely speech.