Shloka 8

अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

प्रत्युपायाम सायाद्वे निर्जिता: सव्यसाचिना । हतप्रवीरा विध्वस्ता निकृत्ता निशितै: शरै:,सायंकालमें सव्यसाची अर्जुनसे परास्त होकर हम सब लोग शिबिरकी ओर लौटे। हमारी सेनाके प्रमुख वीर मारे गये थे। हम सब लोग पैने बाणोंसे घायल होकर विध्वंसके निकट पहुँच गये थे

Transliteration

pratyupāyāma sāyāhve nirjitāḥ savyasācinā | hatapravīrā vidhvastā nikṛttā niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Menjelang senja kami berpaling kembali ke khemah, setelah ditewaskan oleh Arjuna, pemanah yang mahir menggunakan kedua-dua tangan. Para wira terulung kami telah gugur; kami hancur dan ditebas, ditembusi anak panahnya yang tajam—hampir menuju kebinasaan.”

Word by Word

प्रत्युपायामwe returned

सायाह्नेin the evening

निर्जिताःdefeated

सव्यसाचिनाby Savyasācin (Arjuna)

हतप्रवीराःwhose foremost heroes were slain

विध्वस्ताःshattered, routed

निकृत्ताःcut down, mangled

निशितैःwith sharp

शरैःarrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Savyasācin)

camp (śibira, implied by context)

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 underscores the stark moral reality of war: pride and force meet consequences, and even great armies can be reduced to ruin. It also highlights the kṣatriya world where prowess and responsibility are tested, and where defeat demands sober acknowledgment rather than self-deception.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that by evening the Kaurava side, defeated by Arjuna, retreats toward the camp. Their leading warriors have fallen, and the remaining troops are shattered and grievously wounded by Arjuna’s sharp arrows.