Shloka 38

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall

Devanagari script

हत्वा दश सहस्राणि कौसल्यं च महारथम्‌ । कृष्णार्जुनसम: कार्ष्णि: शक्रलोकं गतो ध्रुवम्‌,दस हजार रथियों और महारथी कोसलनरेश बृहद्वधलको मारकर श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके समान पराक्रमी अभिमन्यु निश्चय ही इन्द्रलोकमें गया है

Transliteration

hatvā daśa sahasrāṇi kausalyaṃ ca mahāratham | kṛṣṇārjunasamaḥ kārṣṇiḥ śakralokaṃ gato dhruvam ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Setelah menewaskan sepuluh ribu prajurit kereta dan juga sang maharathi, raja Kosala, putra Kṛṣṇa—Abhimanyu—yang kegagahannya setara Kṛṣṇa dan Arjuna, sungguh telah pergi ke dunia Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• कौसल्यम्: the king of Kosala (Kausalya)
• कौसल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौसल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महारथम्: a great chariot-warrior
• महारथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• कृष्णार्जुनसमः: equal to Krishna and Arjuna
• कृष्णार्जुनसमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्णार्जुनसम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कार्ष्णिः: the son of Krishna (Abhimanyu)
• कार्ष्णिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शक्रलोकम्: Indra's world (heaven)
• शक्रलोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्रलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• गतः: gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used actively), masculine, nominative, singular

• ध्रुवम्: surely, certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna
• Kosala (kingdom)
• Kausalya (king of Kosala)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Śakraloka (Indra’s world/heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects the epic’s martial-ethical worldview: a kṣatriya hero’s death in battle is portrayed as a destined ascent to Indra’s heaven, yet it simultaneously highlights the grave human cost of righteous war—valor is honored, but tragedy is not erased.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu, after killing ten thousand fighters and the Kosalan king (a great chariot-warrior), has fallen and is said to have attained Śakra’s world (Indraloka).