Shloka 31

Chapter 30: Formation Disruption, Competing War-Cries, and Nīla’s Fall

Droṇa-parva

Devanagari script

नापश्याम ततत्त्वेनं सैन्ये वै रजसावृते

Transliteration

nāpaśyāma tatattvenaṃ sainye vai rajasāvṛte

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ରଣଧୂଳିରେ ଆବୃତ ସେହି ସେନାମଧ୍ୟରେ ଆମେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ତାଙ୍କର ଯଥାର୍ଥ ଅବସ୍ଥା ଓ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ଭାବେ ଦେଖିପାରିଲୁ ନାହିଁ। ଯୁଦ୍ଧର ଧୂଳି ଦୃଷ୍ଟିକୁ ଢାକି ଦେଇଥିଲା; ତେଣୁ ସେହି କୋଳାହଳରେ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ କରିବା କଷ୍ଟ ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अपश्याम: I saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्त्वेन: in truth / truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सैन्ये: in the army
• सैन्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• रजसा: by dust
• रजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आवृते: covered / enveloped
• आवृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवृत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• army (sainya)
• dust (rajas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the conditions of conflict—dust, agitation, and chaos—distort perception. Ethically, it suggests caution in judgment during turmoil: when clarity is obstructed, certainty about persons and events becomes unreliable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, amid the dust-choked battlefield and the press of armies, they could not clearly make out the person being referred to (him) in a definite, truthful way.