Shloka 22

Devanagari script

धार्तराष्ट्रमुदग्रं हि व्यूढं दृष्टया महद्‌ बलम्‌

Transliteration

dhārtarāṣṭram udagraṃ hi vyūḍhaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahad balam

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Melihat bala tentera Dhārtarāṣṭra tersusun dalam formasi perang yang garang dan menggerunkan—suatu kekuatan yang amat besar—(lalu beliau melaporkan apa yang berlaku seterusnya).

Word by Word

धार्तराष्ट्रम्the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra / Duryodhana (as object)

उदग्रम्lofty, eminent, formidable

हिindeed, for

व्यूढम्arrayed, drawn up (in battle formation)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

महत्great

बलम्army, force

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by dhārtarāṣṭram)

Kaurava army (Dhārtarāṣṭra host)

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 the sheer scale and aggressive organization of power can shape perception and decision-making in war; it sets an ethical backdrop where intimidation and might are contrasted with steadiness and discernment in the face of overwhelming force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment on the battlefield: the Kaurava (Dhārtarāṣṭra) forces are seen arranged in a fierce formation, presented as a massive army, preparing the listener for the ensuing reactions and actions in the battle episode.