Shloka 17

धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)

Devanagari script

अश्रवत्थामा च भोजश्न मागधश्न महाबल: । बृहद्धलश्न क्राथश्व शकुनिश्चापि सौबल:

Transliteration

aśvatthāmā ca bhojaś ca māgadhaś ca mahābalaḥ | bṛhadbalaś ca krāthaś ca śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Aśvatthāmā, Bhoja, the mighty Māgadha, Bṛhadbala, Krātha, and also Śakuni, the son of Subala—these (warriors) were present/arrayed.” The verse functions as a roll-call of notable combatants, underscoring how the war draws in powerful figures whose choices and alliances carry grave ethical consequences amid the collapse of restraint in battle.

Word by Word

अश्रवत्थामाAshvatthaman

चand

भोजश्नःBhojashna (a warrior)

मागधश्नःMagadhashna (a warrior)

महाबलःmighty/very strong

बृहद्धलःBrihaddhala (a warrior)

क्राथश्वःKrathashva (a warrior)

शकुनिःShakuni

चalso/and

अपिalso/even

सौबलःson of Subala (epithet of Shakuni)

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Aśvatthāmā

Bhoja

Māgadha

Bṛhadbala

Krātha

Śakuni

Subala

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 that immense strength and high birth do not by themselves ensure righteous conduct; in war, the moral weight lies in how such powerful figures choose to act and whom they support.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra enumerates prominent Kaurava-aligned warriors—Aśvatthāmā, Bhoja, Māgadha, Bṛhadbala, Krātha, and Śakuni—situating them within the unfolding events of the Shalya Parva and emphasizing the scale of the forces involved.