Shloka 873

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यं समुदीक्षन्ते धार्तराष्ट्रस्य तेजसा । “अन्य सब नरेश इन्हींके योग-क्षेममें लगे हुए हैं। भद्रे! देख, इस समय पाण्डव दुर्योधनके तेजसे एक साथ ही नष्टप्राय होकर एक-दूसरेका मुँह देख रहे हैं

Transliteration

anyonyam samudīkṣante dhārtarāṣṭrasya tejasā |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Accablés par l’éclat du fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ils se regardent les uns les autres, impuissants. Tous les autres rois ne songent qu’à assurer son bien-être ; vois : à présent même les Pāṇḍava semblent presque anéantis d’un seul coup par la radiance de Duryodhana, ne faisant que se dévisager.»

Word by Word

अन्योन्यम्mutually, at one another

समुदीक्षन्तेthey look at / behold

धार्तराष्ट्रस्यof Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana / son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

तेजसाby (his) splendor/energy

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (by patronymic reference)

Duryodhana

Pāṇḍavas

other kings (nareśāḥ)

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 how sheer tejas (martial brilliance and commanding presence) can sway alliances and crush morale, reminding readers that power can create collective dependence (yoga-kṣema) and psychological collapse—an ethical warning about kingship founded primarily on force rather than dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where Duryodhana’s perceived might dominates the scene: other rulers focus on his security and success, while the Pāṇḍavas are portrayed as nearly overwhelmed, reduced to exchanging anxious looks rather than acting decisively.