Shloka 15

Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout

Devanagari script

सम्बुध्य चरणस्पर्शादुत्थाय रणदुर्मद:

Transliteration

sambudhya caraṇasparśād utthāya raṇadurmadāḥ

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Despertado por el contacto en sus pies, se incorporó—todavía embriagado por el frenesí de la batalla, con la mente aún no templada por la reflexión ni por el dominio de sí.

Word by Word

सम्बुध्यhaving awakened/realized

चरणस्पर्शात्from (the) touching of the feet

उत्थायhaving risen

रणदुर्मदःthe one intoxicated with battle (battle-maddened)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

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 line highlights how the intoxication of war (raṇadurmadāḥ) can overpower discernment; even a simple, respectful act like touching the feet becomes merely a trigger for action, not necessarily a moment of ethical awakening.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that someone who had been lying down or resting is awakened by a touch at his feet and then rises, still driven by battle-fury and arrogance.