Shloka 21

Devanagari script

बाल्यवृत्तानि सर्वाणि प्रीयमाणौ विचिन्त्य तौ । अन्योनयं प्रेक्षमाणी च स्मयमानौ पुन: पुन:,बचपनकी सारी बातें याद करके वे दोनों वीर एक-दूसरेकी ओर देखते हुए बारंबार प्रसन्नतापूर्वक मुसकरा उठते थे

Transliteration

bālyavṛttāni sarvāṇi prīyamāṇau vicintya tau | anyonyaṁ prekṣamāṇī ca smayamānau punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຈະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ເມື່ອລະລຶກດ້ວຍຄວາມຊື່ນຊົມເຖິງເຫດການທັງປວງໃນວັຍເດັກ ວີຣະບຸລຸດທັງສອງກໍຈ້ອງມອງກັນ ແລະຍິ້ມດ້ວຍຄວາມຍິນດີຊໍ້າໆ—ປ່ອຍໃຫ້ຄວາມຜູກພັນເກົ່າ ແລະຄວາມຈໍາຮ່ວມ ຜຸດຂຶ້ນຊົ່ວຄາວ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຢູ່ກາງຄວາມໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງສົງຄາມ.

Word by Word

बाल्यवृत्तानिchildhood incidents/acts

सर्वाणिall

प्रीयमाणौbeing delighted/pleased

विचिन्त्यhaving recalled/considered

तौthose two

अन्योन्यम्each other (one another)

प्रेक्षमाणीlooking (at)

चand

स्मयमानौsmiling

पुनःagain

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a setting dominated by violence and duty, human bonds and shared past can surface; the verse highlights the ethical complexity of war, where affection and recognition of the other’s humanity persist alongside enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two heroes who, remembering their childhood episodes, exchange looks and repeatedly smile—an intimate pause of recollection and mutual regard within the ongoing battlefield narrative.