Shloka 66

Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

सामात्यदारो हियते गन्धर्वैर्दिवमाश्रितै: | “कुन्तीकुमारो! ये धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र राजा दुर्योधन अपने भाइयों, मन्सत्रियों तथा स्त्रियोंके साथ यहाँ आये थे। इन्हें गन्धर्वगण आकाशमार्गसे हरकर लिये जाते हैं

Transliteration

sāmātyadāro hīyate gandharvair divam āśritaiḥ | kuntīkumāra! ye dhṛtarāṣṭraputrā rājā duryodhanaḥ svabhrātṛbhiḥ sāmātyaiḥ strībhiś ca saha iha āgatāḥ, te gandharvagaṇair ākāśamārgeṇa hṛtvā nīyante |

Translation

Disse Duryodhana: “Ó filho de Kuntī! Os Gandharvas, que habitam os céus, estão arrebatando o nosso grupo—com ministros e mulheres—e levando-o pela rota do firmamento. O rei Duryodhana, filho de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, que veio aqui com seus irmãos, conselheiros e damas, está sendo capturado e arrastado pelos ares.”

Word by Word

सामात्यदारःone together with ministers and wife (i.e., with entourage)

ह्रियतेis being carried off/abducted

गन्धर्वैःby the Gandharvas

दिवम्to the sky/heaven

आश्रितैःwho have resorted to/abiding in

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Kuntīkumāra (a Pāṇḍava)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)

Gandharvas

ministers/counselors (amātyas)

women/queens (dārāḥ/striyaḥ)

sky/air-route (ākāśamārga)

heaven (diva)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and status collapse when arrogance and adharma dominate; in crisis even an enemy may be approached for aid, highlighting the kṣatriya tension between righteous duty (protecting the distressed) and justified resentment toward wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana reports that celestial Gandharvas have seized and are carrying away the Kaurava party—Duryodhana, his brothers, ministers, and women—through the sky, and he calls out to a ‘son of Kuntī’ (a Pāṇḍava) in the midst of this emergency.