Shloka 82

द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake

Devanagari script

अदृष्टपूर्वा दुःखारता भयव्याकुललोचना: । हरिणा इव वित्रस्ता वीक्षमाणा दिशो दश

Transliteration

adṛṣṭapūrvā duḥkhārtā bhayavyākulalocanāḥ | hariṇā iva vitrastā vīkṣamāṇā diśo daśa ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മുമ്പൊരിക്കലും കണ്ടിട്ടില്ലാത്ത ദുഃഖത്തിൽ അവർ ആർത്തരായി; ഭയത്തിൽ അവരുടെ കണ്ണുകൾ വിറച്ചു. ഭീതിയിലായ മാൻപോലെ അവർ പത്തു ദിക്കുകളിലേക്കും നോക്കി നിന്നു.

Word by Word

अदृष्टपूर्वाःnever-seen-before (unprecedented)

दुःखारताःafflicted with sorrow / given to grief

भयव्याकुललोचनाःhaving eyes agitated with fear

हरिणाःdeer

इवlike, as if

वित्रस्ताःterrified, startled

वीक्षमाणाःlooking (around), gazing

दिशःdirections, quarters

दशten

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

deer (hariṇa)

the ten directions (diśaḥ daśa)

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 violence and sudden reversals in war shatter composure: when dharma is eclipsed by fear and grief, the mind becomes scattered, symbolized by anxious scanning of all directions. It implicitly warns that inner steadiness and ethical clarity are fragile under adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the warriors (or those present) as overwhelmed by unprecedented sorrow and fear, behaving like startled deer—restlessly looking in every direction—indicating panic and disorientation amid the unfolding calamity of the battle.