Shloka 23

कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा

Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा मम महाराज तौ समेतौ महारथौ

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā mama mahārāja tau sametau mahārathau

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O great king, having seen those two great chariot-warriors come together (to engage one another)…”

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (√दृश्) → दृष्ट (क्त) + त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), कर्तरि (active sense)

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (महा + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तौ: those two (them)
• तौ: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• समेतौ: come together / assembled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + इ (√इ) → समेत (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• महारथौ: two great chariot-warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ (महा + रथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'mahārāja')
• two mahārathas (unspecified in this half-verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights the epic’s ethical frame of war: Sañjaya reports events to the king with sobriety, emphasizing the gravity when two top-tier warriors meet. It implicitly points to kṣatriya-dharma—duty-bound combat—while reminding the listener that such encounters carry immense consequences for the wider moral and political order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra and begins describing a pivotal moment on the battlefield: two great chariot-warriors have come face to face, signaling the start or intensification of a major duel. The verse functions as a narrative hinge, preparing the listener for the clash that follows.