Shloka 20

अपक्रम्य तु ते राजन्‌ सर्व एव महारथा: । आमन्त्र्यान्योन्यमुद्धिग्नास्त्रिधा ते प्रययुस्तदा,राजन! वहाँसे हटकर वे सभी महारथी उद्विग्न हो एक-दूसरेसे विदा ले तीन मार्गोंपर चल दिये

apakramya tu te rājan sarva eva mahārathāḥ | āmantyānyonyam uddhignās tridhā te prayayus tadā ||

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O King, withdrawing from that place, all those great chariot-warriors—deeply shaken—took leave of one another and then departed at that time by three different routes.”

अपक्रम्यhaving withdrawn/stepped away
अपक्रम्य:
Apadana
TypeVerb
Rootअप-क्रम्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
तेthey/those
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
सर्वेall
सर्वे:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
महारथाःgreat chariot-warriors
महारथाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहारथ
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
आमन्त्र्यhaving taken leave of / having addressed
आमन्त्र्य:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-मन्त्र्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि
अन्योन्यम्one another / mutually
अन्योन्यम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootअन्योन्य
Formmasculine/neuter, accusative, singular, adverbial accusative
उद्धिग्नाःagitated/distressed
उद्धिग्नाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootउद्-धिग्न
Formpast passive participle (PPP) used adjectivally, masculine, nominative, plural
त्रिधाin three ways / into three (routes)
त्रिधा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootत्रिधा
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
प्रययुःwent/departed
प्रययुः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-या
Formलिट् (perfect), 3rd, plural, परस्मैपद
तदाthen
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
R
rājan (the King—Janamejaya as listener)
M
mahārathāḥ (the great warriors)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores the psychological and moral weight of catastrophic events: even the mightiest warriors, after witnessing the consequences of conflict, become distressed and disperse—suggesting the fragility of worldly power and the inevitability of separation after adharma-driven destruction.

After leaving the scene, the assembled great warriors, troubled and unsettled, formally bid each other farewell and then depart, splitting into three different directions—marking a transition in the Strī Parva’s post-war movement and dispersal.