Shloka 383

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

के नु पश्चादवर्तन्त गच्छन्तो दुर्गमां गतिम्‌ कौन-कौनसे वीर उस समय निकटसे द्रोणाचार्यकी रक्षा करते हुए उनके आगे रहकर युद्ध करते थे और कौन-कौन योद्धा दुर्गम मार्गपर पैर बढ़ाते हुए उनके पीछे रहकर रक्षा करते थे?

Transliteration

ke nu paścād avartanta gacchanto durgamāṃ gatim

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked: “Who, as they advanced along that hard-to-traverse course, remained behind (as the rear-guard)?” The question seeks to identify the warriors assigned to protect Droṇācārya by holding positions in front and behind—an inquiry into battlefield order, responsibility, and the ethics of guarding one’s commander amid peril.

Word by Word

• के: who (plural)
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नु: indeed/then (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• पश्चात्: behind/afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्

• अवर्तन्त: remained/turned back/stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• गच्छन्तः: going
• गच्छन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दुर्गमाम्: hard-to-pass/difficult
• दुर्गमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: path/way/course
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Droṇācārya