Shloka 826

Devanagari script

जवेनापतत: पार्थनिक: सर्वानवारयत्‌ | उस समय दुर्योधनने यह देखकर कि मेरी सेना मेरे पाससे भाग गयी है, वेगसे आक्रमण करनेवाले समस्त पाण्डवयोद्धाओंको अकेले ही रोका

Transliteration

javena āpatataḥ pārthanikaḥ sarvān avārayat |

Translation

Sañjaya said: With swift force, the warrior of the Pārthas checked them all. At that moment, Duryodhana, seeing that my army had fled from his side, single-handedly held back all the Pāṇḍava fighters who were charging in with speed—an image of desperate valor set against the moral collapse of a routed host.

Word by Word

• जवेन: with speed
• जवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अपततः: rushing/attacking
• अपततः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थनिकः: Duryodhana (son of Dhritarashtra; here as the subject)
• पार्थनिकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थनिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अवारयत्: checked/stopped/held back
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍava warriors (Pāṇḍavāḥ)
• Kaurava army (my army, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage contrasts individual valor with collective moral and strategic failure: even when a leader shows personal courage, an army that loses cohesion and resolve collapses. It highlights the ethical tension in war—heroism can coexist with a cause already undermined by adharma and fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that as the Pāṇḍava fighters rush forward, they are checked. Duryodhana, noticing his forces have fled from his vicinity, advances with speed and alone attempts to stop the charging Pāṇḍava warriors, trying to stabilize the battle line.