Shloka 203

Devanagari script

कुरव: पर्यवर्तन्त निर्दग्धा: सव्यसाचिना । जैसे विशाल वनमें दावानलसे डरे हुए मृगोंके समूह इधर-उधर भागते हैं, उसी प्रकार सव्यसाची अर्जुनके बाणरूपी अग्निसे चलते हुए कौरव-सैनिक चारों ओर चक्कर काट रहे थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

kuravāḥ paryavartanta nirdagdhāḥ savyasācinā |

yathā viśāle vane dāvānalena bhītā mṛgagaṇāḥ itastataḥ dhāvanti, tathā savyasācy-arjuna-bāṇāgni-pradīptāḥ kuravaḥ sainikāḥ sarvataḥ paribhramantaḥ cakraṃ cakruḥ ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ସବ୍ୟସାଚୀ ଅର୍ଜୁନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଦଗ୍ଧ ହୋଇ କୁରୁମାନେ ଭ୍ରମିତ ହୋଇ ଚାରିଦିଗେ ଘୁରୁଥିଲେ; ଯେପରି ବିଶାଳ ବନରେ ଦାବାନଳକୁ ଦେଖି ଭୟଭୀତ ମୃଗଦଳ ସବୁଦିଗକୁ ଦୌଡ଼େ, ସେପରି ଅର୍ଜୁନଙ୍କ ବାଣରୂପ ଅଗ୍ନିରେ ଚାଳିତ କୌରବ ସେନା ସବୁଦିଗେ ଘୁରିବାକୁ ବାଧ୍ୟ ହେଉଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• कुरवः: the Kurus (Kaurava soldiers)
• कुरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पर्यवर्तन्त: were circling about / were turning around
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• निर्दग्धाः: burnt / scorched
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दग्ध (नि + दह्, past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सव्यसाचिना: by Savyasācin (Arjuna)
• सव्यसाचिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव्यसाचिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Arjuna (Savyasācin)
• Kaurava/Kuru soldiers
• Arrows (bāṇa)
• Forest (vana)
• Forest-fire (dāvānala)
• Deer (mṛga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming force and skill can dissolve collective discipline into fear-driven confusion. Ethically, it warns that when violence escalates beyond an opponent’s capacity to respond, the battlefield becomes governed by panic rather than reason—showing the harsh consequences that follow from entering and sustaining adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes the Kaurava troops being driven into disarray by Arjuna’s intense arrow-fire. They whirl and scatter like deer fleeing a forest blaze, indicating that Arjuna’s assault is so fierce that the Kaurava formations cannot hold their ground and instead move chaotically in all directions.