Shloka 3

Devanagari script

गौतमस्य रथं दृष्टवा धृष्टद्युम्नरथं प्रति । वित्रेसु: सर्वभूतानि क्षयं प्राप्तं च मेनिरे,कृपाचार्यके रथको धृष्टद्युम्नके रथकी ओर जाते देख समस्त प्राणी भयसे थर्रा उठे और धष्टद्युम्नको नष्ट हुआ ही मानने लगे

Transliteration

gautamasya rathaṁ dṛṣṭvā dhṛṣṭadyumna-rathaṁ prati | vitresuḥ sarvabhūtāni kṣayaṁ prāptaṁ ca menire ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。ガウタマ（クリパーチャーリヤ）の戦車がドリシュタデュムナの戦車へと迫るのを見て、あらゆる生きとし生けるものは恐怖に震え、ドリシュタデュムナはすでに滅びを迎えたのだと見なした。

Word by Word

गौतमस्यof Gautama

रथम्chariot

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

धृष्टद्युम्न-रथम्the chariot of Dhrishtadyumna

प्रतिtowards

वित्रेसुःtrembled, were terrified

सर्व-भूतानिall beings

क्षयम्destruction, ruin

प्राप्तम्reached, obtained (i.e., having reached destruction)

चand

मेनिरेthought, considered

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Gautama (Kṛpācārya/Kṛpa)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

ratha (chariot)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how collective perception in war is driven by fear and the established prowess of warriors: people often assume an outcome (destruction) based on who advances against whom, reminding readers to distinguish between reputation-based judgment and actual dharmic discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛpācārya (called ‘Gautama’) drives his chariot toward Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s chariot. Observers tremble and presume Dhṛṣṭadyumna is as good as slain, anticipating a decisive clash.