Shloka 42

धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)

Devanagari script

एते चान्ये च बहव: कृतास्त्रा युद्धदुर्मदा: । राजानो राजतपूुत्रा श्न शूरा: परिघबाहव:

Transliteration

ete cānye ca bahavaḥ kṛtāstrā yuddha-durmadāḥ | rājāno rāja-putrāś ca śūrāḥ parigha-bāhavaḥ ||

Translation

ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਰਾਜੇ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਜਪੁੱਤਰ ਹਨ—ਅਸਤ੍ਰ-ਵਿਦਿਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਿਖਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ, ਯੁੱਧ ਦੇ ਅਹੰਕਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਮੱਤੇ, ਪਰਾਕ੍ਰਮੀ ਸੂਰਮੇ; ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਾਂਹਾਂ ਲੋਹੇ ਦੇ ਡੰਡਿਆਂ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

एतेthese

चand

अन्येothers

चand

बहवःmany

कृतास्त्राःtrained/versed in weapons

युद्धदुर्मदाःarrogant/maddened in battle

राजानःkings

राजपुत्राःprinces (sons of kings)

चand

शूराःheroes, valiant men

परिघबाहवःhaving arms like iron clubs (mighty-armed)

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

kings

princes

weapons (astra)

parigha (iron club/bar)

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 martial skill and royal status can be accompanied by war-pride (durmada). It implicitly warns that prowess without restraint and ethical clarity can become a force of destruction, not protection—an important tension in kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is describing the formidable composition of the warriors—many kings and princes, expert in weapons and eager for battle—emphasizing the scale and intensity of the conflict as Shalya Parva begins.