Shloka 35

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration

Sañjaya’s Report

Devanagari script

वृद्धौ विराटद्रुपदौ महारथौ पृथक्‌ चमूभ्यामभिवर्तमानौ । यदा द्रष्टारी धार्तराष्ट्रानू ससैन्यां- स्तदा युद्ध धार्तराष्ट्रोडन्वतप्स्यत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vr̥ddhau virāṭa-drupadau mahārathau pr̥thak camūbhyām abhivartamānau |

yadā draṣṭārau dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-sainyān tadā yuddhe dhārtarāṣṭro ’nutapsyate ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਜਦੋਂ ਬੁਜ਼ੁਰਗ ਮਹਾਰਥੀ ਰਾਜਾ ਵਿਰਾਟ ਅਤੇ ਦ੍ਰੁਪਦ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ-ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਫੌਜਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਦੇ ਹੋਏ, ਸੈਨਾ ਸਮੇਤ ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਦੇ ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਨਿਗਾਹ ਮਾਰਣਗੇ—ਤਦ ਯੁੱਧ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰਪੁੱਤਰ (ਦੁਰਯੋਧਨ) ਕਰਮ-ਫਲ ਨੂੰ ਯਾਦ ਕਰਕੇ ਪਛਤਾਵੇ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।

Word by Word

• वृद्धौ: aged, elder (two)
• वृद्धौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• विराटद्रुपदौ: Virata and Drupada
• विराटद्रुपदौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट + द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• महारथौ: great chariot-warriors (two)
• महारथौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्

• चमूभ्याम्: with (their) two armies
• चमूभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमू
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• अभिवर्तमानौ: advancing/attacking
• अभिवर्तमानौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वृत्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• द्रष्टारौ: the two beholders/observers
• द्रष्टारौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• धार्तराष्ट्रान्: the sons of Dhritarashtra
• धार्तराष्ट्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ससैन्यान्: together with their army
• ससैन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + सैन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Duryodhana (the Dhartarashtra)
• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अन्वतप्स्यत्: would regret, would be distressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + तप्
• Form: लृङ् (conditional), future-in-the-past/conditional, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Virāṭa (King of Matsya)
• Drupada (King of Pāñcāla)
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra / Kauravas)
• Duryodhana (implied by singular dhārtarāṣṭraḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores moral causality in politics and war: aggressive choices that violate dharma may appear powerful at first, but when righteous allies unite and consequences become unavoidable, the wrongdoer is driven to remorse. It highlights foresight and restraint as ethical necessities for rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya foretells to Dhritarashtra that Virata and Drupada—elder, renowned warriors allied with the Pandavas—will advance with their own armies and confront the Kauravas. At that moment, Duryodhana will regret having pushed the conflict toward war.