Shloka 76

Devanagari script

भरतश्रेष्ठ जिनके स्वजन और बान्धव मारे गये थे, वे सुकुमारी स्त्रियाँ तीव्र गतिसे नगरकी ओर जा रही थीं ।। आगोपालाविपालेभ्यो द्रवन्तो नगरं प्रति । ययुर्मनुष्या: सम्भ्रान्ता भीमसेनभयार्दिता:,उस समय भीमसेनके भयसे पीड़ित हो सभी मनुष्य गायों और भेड़ोंके चरवाहेतक घबराकर नगरकी ओर भाग रहे थे

Transliteration

ā gopālāvipālebhyo dravanto nagaraṃ prati | yayur manuṣyāḥ sambhrāntā bhīmasenabhayārditāḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Терзаемые страхом перед Бхимасеной, люди в панике бросились к городу — от пастухов коров и овец и далее, все без исключения, — словно спасение было лишь за городскими стенами.

Word by Word

आup to, as far as

गोपालfrom the cowherds

अवि-पालfrom the shepherds (keepers of sheep)

द्रवन्तःrunning

नगरम्the city

प्रतिtowards

ययुःwent, fled

मनुष्याःpeople, men

सम्भ्रान्ताःpanic-stricken, agitated

भीमसेन-भय-आर्दिताःafflicted by fear of Bhimasena

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Bhimasena (Bhima)

nagara (city)

gopala (cowherds)

avipala (shepherds)

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 the ethical fallout of war: the terror generated by heroic violence does not remain confined to warriors but spreads to civilians, disrupting livelihoods and social order. It implicitly warns that adharma in conflict produces widespread suffering beyond the intended targets.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that people, overwhelmed by fear of Bhimasena, are fleeing toward the city in a stampede-like panic, including even cowherds and shepherds—signaling a breakdown of normal life around the war zone.