Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सापद्ववं कौरवेषु पाण्डवानां सुसम्मतम्‌ । सारासारबल ज्ञातुं तेज:पुञज्जावभासितम्‌

Transliteration

sāpadvavaṁ kauraveṣu pāṇḍavānāṁ susammatam | sārāsārabala jñātuṁ tejaḥpuñjāvabhāsitam ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Среди кауравов положение пандавов было признано добрым и прочно утверждённым. И чтобы различить истинную силу — что в ней сущностно, а что пусто, — явилась сияющая громада блеска, вспыхнувшая ослепительным светом».

Word by Word

साshe/that (woman)

अपद्ववम्a calamity/misfortune (lit. 'ill-omened event')

कौरवेषुamong the Kauravas

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pandavas

सुसम्मतम्well-approved; fully agreed upon

सारthe essence

असारthe non-essence; what is worthless

बलstrength

ज्ञातुम्to know; to ascertain

तेजःsplendor; brilliance

पुञ्जa mass; heap; collection

अवभासितम्illuminated; made manifest

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kauravas

Pāṇḍavas

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 discernment (viveka) in assessing power: true strength is not merely numerical or outward show, but the ‘essence’ (sāra) that stands the test of dharma and resolve; hollow strength (asāra) is exposed when confronted by genuine tejas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment in the Udyoga Parva where the Pāṇḍavas’ stance is seen as sound and accepted, and a striking manifestation of brilliance (‘a mass of splendour’) appears—suggesting the emergence or presence of a formidable, clarifying power that reveals the real balance of strength between the sides.