Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततो रथाश्चांश्व मनुष्ययाना- न्युत्सृज्य सर्वे कुरुपाण्डुयो धा: । दिवाकरस्याभिमुखं जपन्त: संध्यागता: प्राज्जलयो बभूवु:,तब समस्त कौरव-पाण्डव-सैनिक रथ, घोड़े तथा पालकी आदि सवारियोंको छोड़कर संध्या-वन्दनमें तत्पर हो सूर्यके सम्मुख हाथ जोड़कर वेदमन्त्रका जप करते हुए खड़े हो गये

Transliteration

tato rathāś cāśva-manuṣya-yānāny utsṛjya sarve kuru-pāṇḍavāḥ | divākarasyābhimukhaṃ japantaḥ sandhyāgatāḥ prāñjalayo babhūvuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors tous les Kurus et les Pāṇḍavas, délaissant chars et autres véhicules tirés par des chevaux ou portés par des hommes, s’adonnèrent au rite du Sandhyā. Face au Soleil, ils se tinrent debout, les mains jointes, récitant des mantras védiques—suspendant un instant la violence de la guerre par respect du devoir sacré.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

रथान्chariots

चand

अश्वान्horses

मनुष्ययानानिhuman-vehicles (palanquins etc.)

उत्सृज्यhaving abandoned/left

सर्वेall

कुरुपाण्डवाःKurus and Pandavas

दिवाकरस्यof the sun

अभिमुखम्facing, towards

जपन्तःreciting, muttering (mantras)

सन्ध्यागताःhaving reached the twilight (time), at evening

प्राञ्जलयःwith joined hands

बभूवुःthey became / stood

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kurus

Pāṇḍavas

Divākara (Sun)

ratha (chariot)

aśva (horse)

manuṣya-yāna (palanquin/litter)

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 amid extreme conflict, the text highlights adherence to dharma through daily sacred obligations (sandhyā rites, mantra-japa). The warriors’ pause suggests that reverence for cosmic order and discipline is not meant to be abandoned even in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the arrival of evening (sandhyā), both armies—Kurus and Pāṇḍavas—temporarily set aside their vehicles and stand facing the Sun with joined palms, reciting Vedic mantras as part of the twilight worship before resuming the course of battle.