Shloka 1

Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ

The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माज छा जि: एकोनपज्चाशत्तमो<ड्ध्याय: शंखका युद्ध

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | śvaite senāpatau tāta saṅgrāme nihate paraiḥ | kim akurvan maheṣvāsāḥ pañcālāḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : Mon fils, lorsque Śveta, le commandant, fut tué au combat par l’ennemi, que firent alors les grands archers—les Pāñcāla avec les Pāṇḍava ?

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• श्वेते: when/with Śveta (being the topic/occasion)
• श्वेते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सेनापतौ: in/when the commander
• सेनापतौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनापति
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तात: dear son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निहते: when slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• परैः: by the enemies/others
• परैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अकुर्वन्: did
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural

• महेष्वासाः: great bowmen
• महेष्वासाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चालाः: the Panchalas
• पञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाण्डवैः: with the Pandavas
• पाण्डवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Śveta (senāpati)
• Pāñcālas
• Pāṇḍavas
• battlefield (saṅgrāma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in war: the fall of a commander tests an army’s steadiness, discipline, and adherence to kṣatriya-dharma—responding with resolve rather than panic or vengeance-driven disorder.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing that Śveta, the Pāṇḍava-side commander, has been killed by the opposing forces, Dhṛtarāṣṭra anxiously asks Sañjaya what the Pāñcālas and Pāṇḍavas did next on the battlefield.