Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तदयं भरतश्रेष्ठ भ्राता तेडद्य यदर्जुन: । सैन्यक्षयं रणे कृत्वा सिन्धुराजशिरो5हरत्‌,“भरतश्रेष्ठ) इसीलिये आज आपके इस छोटे भाई अर्जुनने संग्राममें शत्रुसेनाका संहार करके सिंधुराजका सिर काट लिया है”

Transliteration

tad ayaṃ bharataśreṣṭha bhrātā te ’dya yad arjunaḥ | sainyakṣayaṃ raṇe kṛtvā sindhurājaśiro ’harat ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Ainsi donc, ô le meilleur des Bharata, ton frère Arjuna — après avoir semé la destruction dans l’armée ennemie au combat — a aujourd’hui pris la tête du roi du Sindhu. L’acte est présenté comme l’accomplissement d’un vœu, au milieu des dures exigences de la guerre, où se rejoignent la résolution personnelle et le devoir des armes.»

Word by Word

तत्that (deed/thing)

अयम्this (one)

भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

भ्राताbrother

तेof you/your

अद्यtoday

यत्which/that (fact) that

अर्जुनःArjuna

सैन्य-क्षयम्destruction of the army

रणेin battle

कृत्वाhaving done/made

सिन्धु-राज-शिरःthe head of the Sindhu-king (Jayadratha)

अहरत्took away / carried off (i.e., cut off and bore away)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address bharataśreṣṭha)

Arjuna

Sindhurāja (Jayadratha)

enemy army (śatru-senā / sainya)

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?

The verse highlights how, in the epic’s war-ethic, a kṣatriya’s duty and a solemn resolve can drive decisive action with grave consequences. It also underscores accountability in conflict: the narrative frames Jayadratha’s end as the outcome of prior deeds and the fulfilment of Arjuna’s pledged purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna has devastated the opposing forces in battle and has killed the Sindhu king Jayadratha by taking his head—announcing the completion of a critical wartime objective.