Shloka 1

Devanagari script

/ अपन क्ात बछ। अकाल पञठ्चमो<ध्याय: संजयका धृतराष्ट्रको कौरवपक्षके मारे गये प्रमुख वीरोंका परिचय देना वैशम्पायन उवाच इति श्रुत्वा महाराज धृतराष्ट्रोडम्बिकासुत: । अब्रवीत्‌ संजयं सूतं शोकसंविग्नमानस:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--महाराज! उपर्युक्त समाचार सुनकर अम्बिकानन्दन धृतराष्ट्रका हृदय शोकसे व्याकुल हो गया। वे अपने सारथि संजयसे इस प्रकार बोले --

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | iti śrutvā mahārāja dhṛtarāṣṭro ’mbikāsutaḥ | abravīt sañjayaṃ sūtaṃ śokasaṃvignamānasaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Ô roi, ayant entendu ce récit, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, fils d’Ambikā, l’esprit bouleversé par le chagrin, s’adressa à Sañjaya, le cocher, en ces termes. La scène souligne que les calamités de la guerre reviennent d’abord comme souffrance intérieure—deuil et trouble moral—avant de devenir conseil ou action.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid/spoke

इतिthus

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

महाराजO great king

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

अम्बिकासुतःson of Ambikā

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

संजयम्Sañjaya

सूतम्charioteer; sūta

शोकसंविग्नमानसःwhose mind was agitated by grief

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Ambikā

Sañjaya

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 highlights the ethical aftermath of violence: news of deaths in war first manifests as inner turmoil. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s grief signals the burden of responsibility and the psychological cost of choices that enabled the conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing the latest report (from Sañjaya’s narration of the battle), Dhṛtarāṣṭra becomes overwhelmed with sorrow and begins to question or address Sañjaya, setting up the ensuing account of fallen warriors and the unfolding events.