Shloka 8

भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः

Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā

Devanagari script

दुद्रुवु: केचिदुत्सृज्य तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते । बहवोऊत्र भृशं विद्धा मुहामाना महारथा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

dudruvuḥ kecid utsṛjya tatra tatra viśāmpate |

bahavo 'tra bhṛśaṃ viddhā muhyamānā mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О владыка народа, одни в панике бежали, бросая свои места то тут, то там. Многие великие колесничие, тяжко пронзённые, теряли сознание — сокрушённые ударом стрел Арджуны. Эта картина показывает: когда страх и боль овладевают умом, даже могучие забывают долг и рассыпаются, оставляя товарищей позади».

Word by Word

• दुद्रुवुः: ran away / fled
• दुद्रुवुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), 3, plural

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned / leaving behind
• उत्सृज्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त/absolutive), active

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• तत्र: there (here and there)
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• विशाम्पते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम् + पति
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• उत: and / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)

• भृशम्: exceedingly / greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)

• विद्धाः: pierced / wounded
• विद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, plural

• मूढमानाः: becoming faint / swooning
• मूढमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मूह्/मुह् (धातु) + मान
• Form: शानच्/मान (present participle, middle), masculine, nominative, plural

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + रथ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address viśāmpate)
• Mahārathas (elite warriors)
• Pārtha/Arjuna (implied by context of arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear and injury can shatter resolve: even renowned warriors may abandon positions and comrades when the mind is overwhelmed. Implicitly it contrasts steadfastness in dharma with the moral and psychological collapse that war can induce.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that, under intense assault, some fighters flee in different directions, leaving others behind. Many elite chariot-warriors are badly wounded and begin to faint, struck down by the force of Arjuna’s arrows.