Shloka 21

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय संवादः — उपप्लव्यगमनाज्ञा

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Command to Proceed to Upaplavya

Devanagari script

सर्वाश्न वीरान्‌ पृथिवीपतीनां समागतान्‌ पाण्डवार्थे निविष्टान्‌ शूरानहं भक्तिमत: शृणोमि प्रीत्या युक्तान्‌ संश्रितान्‌ धर्मराजम्‌,मैं यह भी सुनता हूँ कि राजाओंमें जितने वीर हैं, वे सब पाण्डवोंकी सहायताके लिये आकर उनकी छावनीमें रहते हैं। वे सब-के-सब शौर्यसम्पन्न, युधिष्ठिरके प्रति भक्ति रखनेवाले, प्रसन्नचित्त एवं धर्मराजके आश्रित हैं मौर्वीभुजाग्रप्रहितान्‌ सम तात दोधूयमानेन धनुर्गुणेन । गाण्डीवनुन्नान्‌ स्तनयित्नुघोषा- नजिद्दागान्‌ कच्चिदनुस्मरन्ति संजय! प्रत्यंचाको बारंबार हिलाकर और कानोंतक खींचकर अँगुलियोंके अग्रभागसे जिनका संधान किया जाता है तथा जो गाण्डीव धनुषसे छूटकर मेघकी गर्जनाके समान सनसनाते हुए सीधे लक्ष्यतक पहुँच जाते हैं, अर्जुनके उन बाणोंको कौरवलोग बराबर याद करते हैं न?

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

sarvāś ca vīrān pṛthivīpatīnāṃ samāgatān pāṇḍavārthe niviṣṭān |

śūrān ahaṃ bhaktimataḥ śṛṇomi prītyā yuktān saṃśritān dharmarājam ||

maurvī-bhujāgra-prahitān samaṃ tāta dodhūyamānena dhanurguṇena |

gāṇḍīva-nunnān stanayitnu-ghoṣān ajihmagān kaccid anusmaranti sañjaya ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “I also hear that all the valiant kings of the earth—warriors who have gathered and taken their stand for the Pāṇḍavas’ cause—are encamped there. They are brave, devoted to Yudhiṣṭhira, glad at heart, and have sought refuge in the righteous king. And tell me, Sañjaya: do the Kauravas still remember Arjuna’s arrows—those set to the bowstring by the very tips of his fingers, drawn back to the ear as the string is made to quiver, driven forth by the Gāṇḍīva, roaring like thunderclouds, and flying straight to their mark without swerving?”

Word by Word

सर्वान्all

चand

वीरान्heroes/warriors

पृथिवीपतीनाम्of the kings (lords of the earth)

समागतान्assembled/come together

पाण्डव-अर्थेfor the sake of the Pandavas

निविष्टान्settled/encamped/entered

शूरान्valiant men

अहम्I

भक्तिमतःdevoted

शृणोमिI hear

प्रीत्याwith joy/affection

युक्तान्endowed/engaged

संश्रितान्having taken refuge in

धर्मराजम्Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

मौर्वी-भुज-अग्र-प्रहितान्shot/loosed from the forepart of the arm (fingers) with the bowstring

सम्fully/together

तातO dear (son)

दोधूयमानेनby (the bowstring) being repeatedly shaken

धनुः-गुणेनwith the bowstring

गाण्डीव-नुन्नान्impelled/shot by the Gandiva (bow)

स्तनयित्नु-घोषान्having a thunder-like sound

अजिह्वगान्snake-like (lit. tongue-less moving ones)

कच्चित्whether indeed?

अनुस्मरन्तिdo they remember repeatedly?

संजयO Sanjaya

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

Kauravas

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)

Arjuna

Gāṇḍīva (bow)

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 passage links political legitimacy to dharma: warriors and kings willingly align with a leader perceived as righteous (Dharmarāja), showing that moral authority can attract support. It also underscores how remembered excellence in skill (Arjuna’s unfailing arrows) functions as ethical and strategic deterrence—wrongdoing faces capable resistance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that many kings have gathered in the Pāṇḍavas’ camp to support their cause and have taken refuge under Yudhiṣṭhira. He then evokes Arjuna’s fearsome archery—arrows released from the Gāṇḍīva with thunder-like sound and straight flight—and asks Sañjaya whether the Kauravas still recall (and fear) that power.