Shloka 96

Devanagari script

तं॑ विषण्णं रणे दृष्टवा तावका: पुरुषर्षभ । हार्दिक्यं पूजयामासुर्वासांस्यादुधुवुश्च ह,नरश्रेष्ठ! रणक्षेत्रमें शिखण्डीको विषादग्रस्त देख आपके सैनिक कृतवर्माकी प्रशंसा करने और वस्त्र हिलाने लगे

Transliteration

taṁ viṣaṇṇaṁ raṇe dṛṣṭvā tāvakāḥ puruṣarṣabha | hārdikyaṁ pūjayāmāsur vāsāṁsy ādudhuvuś ca ha ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Le voyant accablé sur le champ de bataille, ô taureau parmi les hommes, tes guerriers se mirent à honorer Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman) et, dans leur ferveur, agitèrent leurs vêtements.

Word by Word

तम्him

विषण्णम्despondent, dejected

रणेin battle

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

तावकाःyour men, your soldiers

पुरुषर्षभO bull among men

हार्दिक्यम्Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman)

पूजयामासुःthey honored, they praised

वासांसिgarments, clothes

आदुधुवुःthey shook, they waved

चand

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address puruṣarṣabha in Sañjaya’s narration)

tāvakāḥ (Kaurava troops)

Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman)

battlefield (raṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the midst of war, collective morale becomes a decisive force: when someone appears shaken, troops instinctively rally around a respected champion. The verse highlights how honor and public acclaim can stabilize a wavering army, even when the ethical stakes of the conflict remain grave.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon seeing a warrior dejected on the battlefield, the Kaurava soldiers respond by celebrating and honoring Kṛtavarman (Hārdikya), waving their garments as a sign of approval and encouragement—an attempt to restore confidence and momentum.