Shloka 34

Bhīmasena–Drauṇi Mahāyuddha

Chariot Duel and Astra-Exchange

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा व्यूढां तव चमूं सूतपुत्रेण संयुगे । निहतान्‌ पाण्डवान्‌ मेने धार्तराष्ट्र: सबान्धव:

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā vyūḍhāṃ tava camūṃ sūtaputreṇa saṃyuge | nihatān pāṇḍavān mene dhārtarāṣṭraḥ sabāndhavaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Melihat bala tentera tuanku tersusun dalam tertib perang oleh putera sais kereta (Karna) di tengah pertempuran, Dhṛtarāṣṭra—bersama kaum kerabatnya—menyangka bahawa para Pāṇḍava telah terbunuh.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), कर्तरि

• व्यूढाम्: arrayed, drawn up (in battle order)
• व्यूढाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यूढ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• चमूम्: army
• चमूम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमू
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सूतपुत्रेण: by the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निहतान्: slain
• निहतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पाण्डवान्: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मेने: thought, supposed
• मेने: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स: he
• स: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बान्धवैः: with (his) kinsmen
• बान्धवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Karṇa (Sūtaputra)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kaurava army (tava camū)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how attachment and anxiety can cloud discernment: a favorable battlefield arrangement is mistaken for definitive destruction of the enemy. Ethically, it cautions against letting desire for one’s side to win become certainty, especially amid the moral chaos of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that when Dhṛtarāṣṭra saw the Kaurava host effectively arranged for battle by Karṇa, he assumed—along with his family—that the Pāṇḍavas must have been killed, reflecting a moment of premature confidence based on appearances.