Shloka 3

Devanagari script

निहते सैन्धवे वीरे भूरिश्रवसि चैव ह । यदाभ्यगान्महातेजा: पञ्चालानपराजित:,सिंधुराज जयद्रथ तथा वीर भूरिश्रवाके मारे जानेपर अपराजित वीर महातेजस्वी द्रोणाचार्य जब पांचालोंकी सेनामें घुसे, उस समय शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले उन दुर्धर्ष वीरके प्रवेश कर लेनेपर दुर्योधनने उस अवसरके अनुरूप किस कार्यको मान्यता प्रदान की

Transliteration

nihate saindhave vīre bhūriśravasi caiva ha | yadābhyagān mahātejāḥ pañcālān aparājitaḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “When the heroic king of Sindhu, Jayadratha, had been slain, and Bhūriśravas too had fallen—at that time, when the unconquered, mighty Drona advanced into the ranks of the Pāñcālas—what course of action did Duryodhana approve as fitting for that critical moment?”

Word by Word

निहतेwhen (he) was slain

सैन्धवेin/when the Sindhu-king (Jayadratha)

वीरेthe hero

भूरिश्रवसिin Bhūriśravas

चand

एवindeed/just

हindeed (particle)

यदाwhen

अभ्यगात्entered/advanced into

महातेजाःthe great-splendored one

पञ्चालान्the Pāñcālas

अपराजितःunconquered

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Jayadratha

Sindhu (Saindhava)

Bhūriśravas

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Pāñcālas

Duryodhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in wartime: after major losses, a ruler must choose actions suited to the moment, balancing duty to one’s side with prudence and responsibility for further bloodshed.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Jayadratha and Bhūriśravas are killed, Drona—still formidable—pushes into the Pāñcāla forces. Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks what decision Duryodhana endorsed in response to Drona’s aggressive advance at that turning point.