Shloka 21

Devanagari script

उदपानाश्ष नर्दन्ति यथा गोवृषभास्तथा । धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सैन्येषु तत्‌ पराभवलक्षणम्‌,“दुर्योधनकी सेनाओंमें कुएँ आदि जलाशय गाय-बैलोंके समान शब्द करते हैं। यह उसकी पराजयका लक्षण है

Transliteration

udapānāś ca nardanti yathā govṛṣabhās tathā | dhārtarāṣṭrasya sainyeṣu tat parābhavalakṣaṇam ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରଙ୍କ ସେନାମଧ୍ୟରେ କୂଆଁ ଓ ଅନ୍ୟ ଜଳାଶୟମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗୋ-ବୃଷଭ ପରି ଗର୍ଜନ କରୁଛନ୍ତି; ଏହା ତାଙ୍କ ପରାଜୟର ଲକ୍ଷଣ।

Word by Word

उदपानाःwells

नर्दन्तिroar / make a loud sound

यथाas / just as

गोवृषभाःbulls (lit. cow-bulls)

तथाso / likewise

धार्तराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s (i.e., Duryodhana’s)

सैन्येषुin the armies

तत्that

पराभव-लक्षणम्a sign of defeat

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as patronymic: Dhārtarāṣṭra)

Kaurava army (Dhārtarāṣṭrasya sainya)

wells (udapāna)

water-reservoirs (implied: other jalāśaya)

cows

bulls

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 the Mahābhārata motif that collective moral decline and unjust intent manifest as ominous disturbances in nature; such signs warn that power pursued through adharma tends toward ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that strange, animal-like sounds arise from wells and water sources within the Kaurava camp, interpreting them as a clear portent of defeat for Duryodhana’s side.