Shloka 17

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता

Devanagari script

ततो दुर्योधनो राजा भारद्वाजमभाषत । पूर्व दृष्टवा वर्धं घोरं बलस्य बलिनां वर:,तब बलवानोंमें श्रेष्ठ महारथी राजा दुर्योधनने पहले जो अपनी सेनाका घोर संहार हुआ था, उसको दृष्टिमें रखते हुए और युद्धमें भाइयोंके वधका स्मरण करते हुए भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोणाचार्यसे कहा--“निष्पाप आचार्य! आप सदा ही मेरा हित चाहनेवाले हैं

Transliteration

tato duryodhano rājā bhāradvājam abhāṣata | pūrvaṁ dṛṣṭvā vadhaṁ ghoraṁ balasya balināṁ varaḥ ||

Translation

Then King Duryodhana addressed Bhāradvāja’s son (Droṇa). Having already witnessed the dreadful slaughter of his forces, that foremost among the mighty spoke—his words shaped by the grim reality of war and the urgent need to secure advantage through counsel and command.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'tataḥ', 'definition': 'then

• thereafter'}, {'term': 'duryodhanaḥ', 'definition': 'Duryodhana (Kaurava prince, leader of the Kaurava side)'}, {'term': 'rājā', 'definition': 'king'}, {'term': 'bhāradvājam', 'definition': 'the descendant/son of Bharadvāja

• i.e., Droṇācārya (accusative singular)'}, {'term': 'abhāṣata', 'definition': 'spoke

• addressed (aorist)'}, {'term': 'pūrvam', 'definition': 'previously

• earlier'}, {'term': 'dṛṣṭvā', 'definition': 'having seen

• having observed'}, {'term': 'vadham', 'definition': 'slaughter

• destruction'}, {'term': 'ghoram', 'definition': 'terrible

• horrific'}, {'term': 'balasya', 'definition': 'of the army/force'}, {'term': 'balinām varaḥ', 'definition': 'the best/foremost among the strong (epithet here for Duryodhana as a mighty warrior)'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Droṇa (Bhāradvāja’s son)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the reality of violence and loss in war compels leaders to seek guidance and make strategic decisions; it implicitly underscores the ethical weight of command—speech and counsel arise not in abstraction but amid consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, after seeing the terrible destruction of his forces, turns to Droṇācārya (son of Bharadvāja) and begins to address him, setting up a request or counsel related to the conduct of the battle.