Shloka 41

बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः

Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra

Devanagari script

एवं ब्रुवत्यां करुणं दुःशलायां धनंजय:,जब दु:शला इस प्रकार करुणायुक्त वचन कहने लगी, तब अर्जुन राजा धृतराष्ट्र और गान्धारी देवीको याद करके दुःख और शोकसे पीड़ित हो क्षत्रिय-धर्मकी निन्‍दा करने लगे --

Transliteration

evaṁ bruvatyāṁ karuṇaṁ duḥśalāyāṁ dhanaṁjayaḥ

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले— दुःशला करुण व शोकयुक्त वचन बोलू लागली, तेव्हा धनंजय (अर्जुन) राजा धृतराष्ट्र व देवी गांधारी यांचे स्मरण करून दुःख-विषादाने व्याकुळ झाला आणि इतका संताप घडविणाऱ्या क्षात्रधर्माची निंदा करू लागला.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• ब्रुवत्याम्: while (she) was speaking
• ब्रुवत्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: present active participle, Feminine, Locative, Singular

• करुणम्: pitiably, in a compassionate manner
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुःशलायाम्: in/when (it was) Duḥśalā
• दुःशलायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःशला
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṁpāyana
• Duḥśalā
• Dhanaṁjaya (Arjuna)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Gāndhārī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between prescribed warrior duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and the human cost of violence: compassion and grief can provoke a moral re-evaluation of actions justified as 'duty,' especially when the consequences devastate families and elders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duḥśalā is speaking with deep compassion and sorrow. Hearing her, Arjuna is emotionally shaken; he recalls Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī and, afflicted by grief, begins to criticize the warrior code that culminated in widespread suffering.