Shloka 2

Devanagari script

घटोत्कचे तु निहते सूतपुत्रेण तां निशाम्‌ । दुःखामर्षवशं प्राप्तो धर्मराजो युधिछिर:,सूतपुत्रके द्वारा घटोत्कचके मारे जानेपर उस रातमें धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर दुःख और अमर्षके वशीभूत हो गये

Transliteration

ghaṭotkace tu nihate sūtaputreṇa tāṃ niśām | duḥkhāmarṣavaśaṃ prāpto dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Lorsque Ghaṭotkaca eut été tué par Karṇa, le fils du cocher, cette nuit-là le roi Yudhiṣṭhira—ferme dans le dharma—fut submergé par le chagrin et une indignation brûlante. L’événement alourdit encore le poids moral de la guerre : un puissant allié est tombé, et la sérénité du roi juste vacille sous la douleur et l’honneur meurtri.»

Word by Word

घटोत्कचेin/when (regarding) Ghaṭotkaca

तुbut/indeed

निहतेwhen slain

सूतपुत्रेणby the charioteer’s son (Karna)

ताम्that

निशाम्night

दुःखामर्षवशम्under the sway of grief and indignation

प्राप्तःhaving come to / having become

धर्मराजःKing of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

घ

घटोत्कच (Ghaṭotkaca)

स

सूतपुत्र (Karna)

ध

धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर (Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira)

न

निशा (night)

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?

Even a dharma-minded ruler can be swept up by grief and indignation when confronted with catastrophic loss. The verse highlights the ethical strain of war: righteousness is tested not only by actions on the battlefield but also by the ability to govern one’s inner responses to tragedy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that after Karṇa slew Ghaṭotkaca, Yudhiṣṭhira spent that night overwhelmed by sorrow and amarṣa (indignant anger). It marks the emotional aftermath of a major death and foreshadows intensified resolve and tension among the Pāṇḍavas.