Shloka 2

अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ााभारत शल्यपर्वमें धृतराष्ट्रका विलापविषयक दूसरा अध्याय पूरा हुआ,निहते सूतपुत्रे तु पाण्डवेन महात्मना । विद्रुतेषु च सैन्येषु समानीतेषु चासकृत्‌

Transliteration

nihate sūtaputre tu pāṇḍavena mahātmanā | vidruteṣu ca sainyeṣu samānīteṣu cāsakṛt ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Когда сын колесничего был сражён великодушным Пандавой, и когда войска, в беспорядке обратившись в бегство, снова и снова собирались и возвращались в строй, нравственное и душевное напряжение войны ещё более возросло — победа и утрата раскрывались рядом, среди крушения и нового сложения общей решимости.

Word by Word

निहतेwhen (he) was slain

सूतपुत्रेin the charioteer’s son (Karna)

तुbut/indeed

पाण्डवेनby the Pandava

महात्मनाby the great-souled (one)

विद्रुतेषुwhen (they) had fled

चand

सैन्येषुin the armies

समानीतेषुwhen (they) had been brought together/collected

चand

असकृत्repeatedly, again and again

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Pāṇḍava

sūtaputra (Karṇa, by epithet)

armies (sainyāni)

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 war tests dharma not only through individual heroism but through the fragile morale of entire armies: even after a decisive death, forces may collapse into fear and yet be repeatedly reconstituted by leadership—showing the oscillation between despair and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the killing of the ‘sūtaputra’ (understood as Karṇa) by a Pāṇḍava, the troops scatter in panic; nevertheless, they are gathered and reorganized again and again, indicating continuing conflict and the effort to restore battle order.