Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तत्‌ प्रवृत्तं निशायुद्धं चिरें सममिवाभवत्‌

Transliteration

tat pravṛttaṃ niśāyuddhaṃ cireṇa samam ivābhavat

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。「その夜戦は、ひとたび始まるや久しく続き、進むほどに互角であるかのように見えた——闇と憤怒がいかなる明白な優勢をも宙づりにし、双方の苦しみを引き延ばしうることを示す、不吉な徴であった。」

Word by Word

• तत्: that (battle)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रवृत्तम्: having begun / set in motion
• प्रवृत्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त (प्र + √वृत्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• निशायुद्धम्: night-battle
• निशायुद्धम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• चिरेण: after a long time / for long
• चिरेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• समम्: equally / the same
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम

• इव: as if / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभवत्: was / became
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• night-battle (niśāyuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how warfare—especially when fought in darkness—can erase clarity and restraint, producing a grim equilibrium where neither side gains decisive moral or strategic advantage, and the conflict simply endures, multiplying harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting continued into the night; once the nocturnal combat began, it lasted a long time and appeared evenly balanced, with no clear victor emerging for a prolonged period.