Shloka 16

कुरुक्षेत्रे सेनानिवेशवृत्तान्तः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra Questions Saṃjaya on the Deployed Armies

Devanagari script

तद्‌ दृष्टवोपस्थितं युद्ध समासन्न॑ं महात्ययम्‌

Transliteration

tad dṛṣṭvopasthitaṃ yuddhaṃ samāsannaṃ mahātyayam

Translation

ସେଇ ମହାବିପର୍ଯ୍ୟୟକର ଯୁଦ୍ଧକୁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସନ୍ନିକଟ—ପ୍ରାୟ ଉପସ୍ଥିତ—ଦେଖି ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ହେଲା ଯେ ସଂଘର୍ଷ ଆଉ କଳ୍ପନା ନୁହେଁ; ଏହା ଅଟଳ ସଙ୍କଟ, ଯାହାର ଧର୍ମିକ ଓ ମାନବୀୟ ପରିଣାମ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଗମ୍ଭୀର।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (अव्यय-भाव), कर्तरि

• उपस्थितम्: present; arrived; standing near
• उपस्थितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासन्नम्: imminent; close at hand
• समासन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-सद् (धातु) → समासन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महात्ययम्: great calamity/disaster
• महात्ययम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• yuddha (the war)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical weight of war: when conflict becomes imminent, it is recognized not merely as a political event but as a 'mahātyaya'—a great calamity—implying that leaders and parties bear heightened responsibility for the consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, marks a turning point: the prospect of battle has become immediate and unavoidable, setting the stage for decisions and actions taken under the shadow of impending catastrophe.