Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दुर्योधनादय: सर्वे ब्राह्म॒णैः सह संगता: । मृदुपूर्वमयत्नेन प्रत्ययुध्यंस्तदाहवे,दुर्योधन आदि सभी (भूपाल) एक साथ अन्यान्य ब्राह्मणोंके साथ उस युद्धभूमिमें बिना किसी प्रयासके (खेल-सा करते हुए) कोमलतापूर्वक (शीत) युद्ध करने लगे

Transliteration

duryodhanādayaḥ sarve brāhmaṇaiḥ saha saṅgatāḥ | mṛdupūrvam ayatnena pratyayudhyanta tadāhave ||

Translation

तब दुर्योधन आदि सब राजकुमार ब्राह्मणों के साथ एकत्र होकर उस रणभूमि में बिना विशेष प्रयास के, मर्यादा के कारण मानो खेल-सा करते हुए, कोमलता से परस्पर प्रत्ययुद्ध करने लगे।

Word by Word

दुर्योधनादयःDuryodhana and others

सर्वेall

ब्राह्मणैःwith/along with the brahmins

सहtogether with

संगताःassembled/come together

मृदुपूर्वम्gently/softly at first; in a gentle manner

अयत्नेनwithout effort; effortlessly

प्रत्ययुध्यन्they fought back/engaged in combat

तत्in that

आहवेbattle; combat

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Brāhmaṇas

Āhava (battlefield/battle)

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 within the setting of battle, conduct can be moderated by dharma: restraint, self-control, and respect—especially in the presence of brāhmaṇas—can temper aggression and prevent needless cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana and his companions, together with brāhmaṇas, enter into a form of reciprocal combat on the battlefield, but they do so mildly and without intense effort, suggesting a controlled or non-lethal style of fighting in that moment.