Shloka 3

धृतराष्ट्रस्य संजयप्रश्नः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry to Saṃjaya on Strategic Comparisons

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच वासुदेववच: श्रुत्वा कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजय: । उवाच काले दुर्धर्षो वासुदेवस्य शृण्वत:,संजयने कहा--महाराज! वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्णकी बात सुनकर दुर्धर्ष वीर कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनने उनके सुनते-सुनते यह समयोचित बात कही--

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vāsudevavacaḥ śrutvā kuntīputro dhanañjayaḥ | uvāca kāle durdharṣo vāsudevasya śṛṇvataḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Hearing the words of Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), Dhanañjaya—Arjuna, Kuntī’s son, the hard-to-overcome hero—spoke in a timely manner while Vāsudeva listened.

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

वासुदेववचःthe words of Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

कुन्तीपुत्रःKuntī's son

धनंजयःDhanañjaya (Arjuna)

उवाचsaid

कालेat the proper time / in due time

दुर्धर्षःunassailable, hard to overpower

वासुदेवस्यof Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

शृण्वतःwhile (he was) listening / of him who was listening

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Kuntī

Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical communication: one should listen carefully to wise counsel and then speak 'kāle'—at the right time—so that action and speech align with dharma and the demands of the moment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words, Arjuna—described as formidable—responds with an appropriate, timely statement while Kṛṣṇa listens, setting up Arjuna’s forthcoming reply.