Shloka 32

Devanagari script

कस्मिन्निदं हते राजन्‌ रथसिंहे बल॑ तव । एतामवस्थां सम्प्राप्तं तन्ममाचक्ष्व कौरव,“राजन्‌! कुरुनन्दन! किस सिंहके समान पराक्रमी रथीके मारे जानेपर आपकी यह सेना इस दुरवस्थाको पहुँच गयी है। यह मुझे बताइये”

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kasminn idaṃ hate rājan rathasiṃhe balaṃ tava | etām avasthāṃ samprāptaṃ tan mamācakṣva kaurava ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, when which lion-like chariot-warrior was slain did your army fall into this condition? O Kaurava, tell me that.”

Word by Word

कस्मिन्in/when (upon) what (event/person)

इदम्this

हतेwhen (he/it) is slain; upon the slaying

राजन्O king

रथसिंहेin/when the lion among chariot-warriors (is slain)

बलम्army; force

तवyour

एताम्this (f.)

अवस्थाम्condition; state

सम्प्राप्तम्having reached; attained

तत्that (matter); that (reason)

ममto me / for me (my)

आचक्ष्वtell; explain

कौरवO Kaurava

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan, kaurava)

Kaurava army (bala)

rathasiṃha (an unnamed lion-like chariot-warrior)

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 how the fall of a single pivotal warrior can destabilize an entire force, underscoring the ethical and strategic weight of leadership, morale, and responsibility in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya questions Dhṛtarāṣṭra about which eminent, ‘lion-like’ chariot-warrior has been slain, since that death seems to have caused the Kaurava army to collapse into a dire condition.