Shloka 45

Devanagari script

ये त्वजाग्रन्त कौरव्य तेडपि शब्देन मोहिता: । निरीक्ष्यमाणा अन्योन्यं दृष्टवा दृष्टवा प्रविव्यथु:,कुरुनन्दन! जो जाग रहे थे, वे भी उस कोलाहलसे किंकर्तव्यविमूढ हो गये थे। परस्पर देखे जाते हुए वे सभी सैनिक अश्वत्थामाको देख-देखकर व्यथित हो रहे थे

Transliteration

ye tv ajāgranta kauravya te 'pi śabdena mohitāḥ | nirīkṣyamāṇā anyonyaṁ dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭvā pravivyathuḥ kurunandana ||

Translation

कुरुनंदना! जे जागे होते तेही त्या कोलाहलाने कर्तव्यविमूढ झाले. एकमेकांकडे पाहत पाहत ते सर्व सैनिक अश्वत्थाम्याला वारंवार पाहून व्याकुळ होऊन थरथर कापू लागले.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

तुbut/indeed

जाग्रन्तःbeing awake, keeping watch

कौरव्यO Kauravya (descendant of Kuru)

तेthey/those

अपिalso/even

शब्देनby the noise/sound

मोहिताःbewildered, deluded

निरीक्ष्यमाणाःbeing looked at/observed

अन्योन्यम्each other, mutually

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen (again and again)

प्रविव्यथुःthey trembled/grew distressed

कुरुनन्दनO joy of the Kurus

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kauravya (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Kurunandana (address)

Aśvatthāmā

Kaurava soldiers

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 undertaken in darkness and confusion spreads moral and psychological collapse: even the vigilant lose discernment, and fear multiplies through mutual observation and rumor-like noise—an implicit critique of adharma-driven warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the night in the Sauptika episode, a sudden uproar arises; even the awake guards and soldiers become disoriented. They look at one another repeatedly, and on recognizing Aśvatthāmā’s presence, they tremble in distress.