Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तमाने संग्रामे लोमहर्षणे । धार्तराष्ट्र महत्‌ सैन्यं प्रायशो विमुखीकृतम्‌

Transliteration

tasmiṁs tathā vartamāne saṅgrāme lomaharṣaṇe | dhārtarāṣṭra mahat sainyaṁ prāyaśo vimukhīkṛtam ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Mientras aquella batalla—tan espantosa que erizaba el vello—se desarrollaba de ese modo, el gran ejército de los Dhārtarāṣṭra fue, en su mayor parte, rechazado y apartado del combate.

Word by Word

तस्मिन्in that

तथाthus, in that manner

वर्तमानेwhile (it was) going on, occurring

संग्रामेin the battle

लोमहर्षणेhair-raising, thrilling

धार्तराष्ट्रम्of the Dhartarashtras (Kauravas)

महत्great, large

सैन्यम्army

प्रायशःfor the most part, generally

विमुखीकृतम्turned back, made to retreat

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhartarashtra (as patronymic: Dhārtarāṣṭras/Kauravas)

Kaurava army

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of power in war: numerical strength alone does not ensure victory. When fear and loss of confidence spread, even a great army can be forced into retreat—suggesting that inner steadiness and righteous resolve are decisive factors alongside strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, as the terrifying battle continues, the Kaurava (Dhārtarāṣṭra) host is largely being turned back—indicating a setback on their side and a shift in battlefield momentum.