Shloka 42

धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)

Devanagari script

एते चान्ये च बहव: कृतास्त्रा युद्धदुर्मदा: । राजानो राजतपूुत्रा श्न शूरा: परिघबाहव:

Transliteration

ete cānye ca bahavaḥ kṛtāstrā yuddha-durmadāḥ | rājāno rāja-putrāś ca śūrāḥ parigha-bāhavaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Dhṛtarāṣṭra: «Y hay muchos otros también—reyes y príncipes—adiestrados por completo en el uso de las armas, embriagados por el orgullo de la batalla, héroes cuyos brazos son como mazas de hierro».

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृतास्त्राः: trained/versed in weapons
• कृतास्त्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतास्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युद्धदुर्मदाः: arrogant/maddened in battle
• युद्धदुर्मदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धदुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजपुत्राः: princes (sons of kings)
• राजपुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शूराः: heroes, valiant men
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिघबाहवः: having arms like iron clubs (mighty-armed)
• परिघबाहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिघबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• kings
• princes
• weapons (astra)
• parigha (iron club/bar)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial skill and royal status can be accompanied by war-pride (durmada). It implicitly warns that prowess without restraint and ethical clarity can become a force of destruction, not protection—an important tension in kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is describing the formidable composition of the warriors—many kings and princes, expert in weapons and eager for battle—emphasizing the scale and intensity of the conflict as Shalya Parva begins.