Shloka 23

भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception

Devanagari script

सर्वलोकेश्चरा: शूरास्तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते । विप्रद्रुता व्यदृश्यन्त प्राकृता इव मानवा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | sarvalokeścarāḥ śūrās tatra tatra viśāmpate | vipradrutā vyadṛśyanta prākṛtā iva mānavāḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ໂອ ຈອມເຈົ້າແຫ່ງປະຊາ, ວິລະຊົນຜູ້ມີຊື່ສຽງກ້ອງໂລກທັງປວງ ຖືກເຫັນຢູ່ບ່ອນນັ້ນບ່ອນນີ້ ຖືກຕີແຕກແຖວ ແລະຫນີວິ່ງ—ດູຄືຄົນທົ່ວໄປ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກສັນລະເສີນວ່າເປັນແຊ້ມກ້ອງໂລກ ເມື່ອຂາດລົດ ແລະຖືກກົດດັນໂດຍການຮົບ ກໍຄ້າຍຈະສູນເສຍສະຫງ່າລາສີເກົ່າ ແລະວິ່ງວຸ່ນວາຍ—ເປີດເຜີຍວ່າສົງຄາມເຮັດໃຫ້ສະຖານະຖືກລົງເທົ່າ ແລະສະແດງຄວາມບອດບາງຂອງມະນຸດ.

Word by Word

• सर्वलोकेश्वराः: lords of all worlds
• सर्वलोकेश्वराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वलोकेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शूराः: heroes
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तत्र: there (here and there)
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विप्रद्रुताः: scattered, driven away, fleeing in disorder
• विप्रद्रुताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-प्र-द्रु (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen, appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Plural, Atmanepada, Passive/Reflexive (middle usage)

• प्राकृताः: common, ordinary, rustic
• प्राकृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• मानवाः: men, humans
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (viśāmpati)
• warriors/heroes (śūrāḥ)
• chariots (implied by context of being chariotless in the cited Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the levelling power of calamity: even world-renowned heroes, when struck by fear, loss of support (such as chariots), or the tide of battle, can appear like ordinary people. Glory and status are contingent; steadiness and dharma are tested precisely under pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that many celebrated warriors on the battlefield are scattered and fleeing in different directions. The scene emphasizes confusion and reversal in the midst of the Kurukṣetra war, where even famed champions are seen routed.