Shloka 20

द्रोणाभिमुखानां निवारण-युद्धम् / Interceptions on the Droṇa-front

Devanagari script

कथं च वो मनस्तात निवृत्तेष्वडभवत्‌ तदा । मामकानां च ये शूरा: के कांस्तत्र न्यवारयन्‌,तात! पाण्डव-सैनिकोंके लौटनेपर तुमलोगोंके मनकी कैसी दशा हुई? मेरे पुत्रोंकी सेनामें जो शूरवीर थे, उनमेंसे किन लोगोंने शत्रुपक्षके किन वीरोंको रोका था?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | kathaṃ ca vo manas tāta nivṛtteṣv abhavat tadā | māmakānāṃ ca ye śūrāḥ ke kāṃs tatra nyavārayan, tāta |

Translation

ທ້າວ ທຣິຕຣາສະຕຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ລູກເອີຍ, ເມື່ອກອງທັບຂອງປານດະວະຖອນກັບໄປ ໃນເວລານັ້ນ ໃຈຂອງເຈົ້າເປັນແນວໃດ? ແລະໃນຝ່າຍຂອງພໍ່—ບັນດານັກຮົບຜູ້ກ້າຫານ—ໃຜໄດ້ຢັ້ງຢືນຂັດຂວາງວິລະຊົນຄົນໃດຂອງສັດຕູຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນ?»

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वः: of you (your)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तात: O dear (son)!
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निवृत्तेषु: when (they) had turned back / on the returning (ones)
• निवृत्तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवृत्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

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

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• मामकानाम्: of my side / of my sons' (men)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मामक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• के: which (ones)? who (among them)?
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कान्: whom?
• कान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• न्यवारयन्: they restrained/checked (held back)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वारय्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• तात: O dear (son)!
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya (implied addressee as 'tāta')
• Pāṇḍavas (as 'Pāṇḍava troops')
• Kauravas / Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s party (as 'māmakāḥ')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a ruler’s attachment shapes perception: Dhṛtarāṣṭra frames events in terms of “my side” and seeks tactical details, revealing concern for advantage and control rather than impartial reflection on dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about a moment when the Pāṇḍava forces turned back/withdrew, asking what emotional state Sañjaya (or the narratee) experienced and which Kaurava heroes checked which Pāṇḍava champions in that encounter.