Shloka 12

Chapter 49: Sañjaya’s Enumeration of the Pāṇḍava Coalition (पाण्डवसैन्यसमागम-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

संजयो<यं महाराज मूर्च्छित: पतितो भुवि । वाचं न सृजते कांचिद्धीनप्रज्ञोडल्पचेतन:

Transliteration

sañjayo 'yaṃ mahārāja mūrcchitaḥ patito bhuvi | vācaṃ na sṛjate kāṃcid dhīnaprajño 'lpa-cetanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai raja agung, Sañjaya ini telah pengsan lalu rebah ke bumi. Dia tidak mengucapkan sepatah kata pun—akal budinya menjadi tumpul dan kesedarannya merosot—ditimpa oleh apa yang telah disaksikannya dan yang harus disampaikannya.”

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

अयम्this

महाराजO great king

मूर्च्छितःfainted, unconscious

पतितःfallen

भुविon the ground

वाचम्speech, words

नnot

सृजतेutters, produces

काञ्चित्any (at all)

धीनप्रज्ञःone whose understanding is impaired

अल्पचेतनःof little consciousness, scarcely conscious

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sañjaya

Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)

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 moral and emotional shock can overwhelm even a capable messenger: when adharma and impending catastrophe press upon the mind, speech and clarity fail. It implicitly underscores the ethical weight of events leading to war and the human cost borne even by witnesses and narrators.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports to King Janamejaya that Sañjaya has collapsed unconscious on the ground and cannot speak. The moment conveys intense distress and suspense, indicating that the news or vision Sañjaya carries is so grave that it temporarily silences him.