Shloka 17

द्रोणाभिमुखानां निवारण-युद्धम् / Interceptions on the Droṇa-front

Devanagari script

व्यक्तमेव च मे शंस यथा युद्धमवर्तत । के<्युध्यन्‌ के व्यपाकुर्वन्‌ के क्षुद्रा: प्राद्रवन्‌ भयात्‌

Transliteration

vyaktam eva ca me śaṃsa yathā yuddham avartata | ke ’yudhyan ke vyapākurvan ke kṣudrāḥ prādravan bhayāt ||

Translation

ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಯುದ್ಧವು ಹೇಗೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳು. ಯಾರು ಹೋರಾಡಿದರು, ಯಾರು ಹಿಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಸರಿದರು, ಮತ್ತು ಯಾರು ಕ್ಷುದ್ರರು ಭಯದಿಂದ ಓಡಿಹೋದರು?

Word by Word

व्यक्तम्clearly, explicitly (as an object: 'the clear account')

एवindeed, just

चand

मेto me / for me

शंसtell, relate

यथाhow, in what manner

युद्धम्the battle

अवर्ततwent on, took place

केwho (plural)

अयुध्यन्fought

केwho (plural)

व्यपाकुर्वन्drew back, retreated

केwho (plural)

क्षुद्राःbase, mean-spirited, cowardly

प्राद्रवन्ran away, fled

भयात्from fear, out of fear

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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 the ethical scrutiny applied to conduct in war: steadfast courage is contrasted with retreat and fear-driven flight, and cowardice is morally censured as “kṣudra” (ignoble).

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya for a clear report of the day’s fighting—seeking to know which warriors stood firm, which withdrew, and which fled in fear.