Shloka 66

Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

सामात्यदारो हियते गन्धर्वैर्दिवमाश्रितै: | “कुन्तीकुमारो! ये धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र राजा दुर्योधन अपने भाइयों, मन्सत्रियों तथा स्त्रियोंके साथ यहाँ आये थे। इन्हें गन्धर्वगण आकाशमार्गसे हरकर लिये जाते हैं

Transliteration

sāmātyadāro hīyate gandharvair divam āśritaiḥ | kuntīkumāra! ye dhṛtarāṣṭraputrā rājā duryodhanaḥ svabhrātṛbhiḥ sāmātyaiḥ strībhiś ca saha iha āgatāḥ, te gandharvagaṇair ākāśamārgeṇa hṛtvā nīyante |

Translation

Duryodhana said: “O son of Kuntī! The Gandharvas who dwell in the heavens are carrying off our party—together with ministers and women. King Duryodhana, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who came here with his brothers, counselors, and ladies, is being seized and taken away through the sky.” In the forest’s moral testing-ground, the proud aggressor is suddenly rendered helpless, and the appeal to a rival for rescue exposes the fragility of power when dharma is disregarded.

Word by Word

• सामात्यदारः: one together with ministers and wife (i.e., with entourage)
• सामात्यदारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामात्यदार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ह्रियते: is being carried off/abducted
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive

• गन्धर्वैः: by the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• दिवम्: to the sky/heaven
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रितैः: who have resorted to/abiding in
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्रित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Kuntīkumāra (a Pāṇḍava)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)
• Gandharvas
• ministers/counselors (amātyas)
• women/queens (dārāḥ/striyaḥ)
• sky/air-route (ākāśamārga)
• heaven (diva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and status collapse when arrogance and adharma dominate; in crisis even an enemy may be approached for aid, highlighting the kṣatriya tension between righteous duty (protecting the distressed) and justified resentment toward wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana reports that celestial Gandharvas have seized and are carrying away the Kaurava party—Duryodhana, his brothers, ministers, and women—through the sky, and he calls out to a ‘son of Kuntī’ (a Pāṇḍava) in the midst of this emergency.