Shloka 35

Devanagari script

पाण्डवै: समसज्जन्त चतुर्भिश्चतुरो रथा: | उस समय दुर्योधन, कर्ण, द्रोणाचार्य और दुःशासन--ये चार महारथी चार पाण्डवोंके साथ युद्ध करने लगे ।। दुर्योधन: सह भ्रात्रा यमाभ्यां समसज्जत

Transliteration

pāṇḍavaiḥ samasajjanta caturbhiś caturo rathāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors quatre guerriers de char du camp kaurava engagèrent un combat rapproché contre quatre des Pāṇḍava. Duryodhana, avec son frère, affronta les jumeaux fils de Mādrī (Nakula et Sahadeva), tandis que les lignes se resserraient et que le dharma—l’ordre juste—était mis à l’épreuve au cœur de la fureur guerrière.

Word by Word

पाण्डवैःby/with the Pandavas

समसज्जन्तengaged (in battle)

चतुर्भिःwith four

चतुरःfour

रथाःchariots / chariot-warriors

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

सहtogether with

भ्रात्राwith (his) brother

यमाभ्याम्with the two Yamas (the twins: Nakula and Sahadeva)

समसज्जतengaged (in battle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

Duryodhana

Karna

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Duḥśāsana

Nakula

Sahadeva

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?

The verse underscores the kṣatriya-world of the epic: duty and resolve are tested through direct confrontation. Ethically, it highlights how personal loyalties and rival claims to legitimacy (dharma) are forced into the harsh arena of war, where choices and alliances reveal character.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that four Kaurava champions take on four Pāṇḍava counterparts in chariot combat. In particular, Duryodhana, accompanied by his brother Duḥśāsana, engages the twin Pāṇḍavas—Nakula and Sahadeva—while the wider battle intensifies.