Shloka 213

Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption

Devanagari script

जयमाकाड्क्षमाणानां शूराणामनिवर्तिनाम्‌ | तदनन्तर विजयकी अभिलाषा रखकर युद्धमें कभी पीठ न दिखानेवाले आपके शूरवीर सैनिकोंका शत्रुओंके साथ महान्‌ युद्ध होने लगा

Transliteration

jayam ākāṅkṣamāṇānāṁ śūrāṇām anivartinām | tad-anantaraṁ vijaya-kāmānāṁ yuṣmākaṁ śūra-sainikānāṁ śatrubhiḥ saha mahān yuddhaḥ samabhavat ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Ensuite s’éleva une grande bataille entre tes soldats héroïques—ceux qui aspiraient à la victoire et ne tournaient jamais le dos—et leurs ennemis. Poussés par le désir de vaincre et liés par la résolution du guerrier, ils firent face à l’adversaire sans retraite.

Word by Word

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आकाङ्क्षमाणानाम्: of (those) desiring
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाङ्क्ष्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, शानच् (present active participle), Parasmaipada (active)

• शूराणाम्: of heroes/warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अनिवर्तिनाम्: of the non-retreating (unyielding)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवर्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'your')
• Kaurava army (implied)
• Enemies/opposing army (implied, i.e., Pāṇḍava forces)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior ethic (kṣatriya-dharma): steadfastness in battle, refusal to retreat, and the powerful pull of victory-desire. It implicitly raises an ethical tension central to the Mahābhārata—courage and duty can be admirable, yet when yoked to ambition and hostility they intensify destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, after the preceding developments, a fierce engagement begins: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s brave, unretreating troops—eager for victory—clash in a great battle with the opposing forces.