Shloka 15

धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्रतु-प्रवर्तनम् तथा पाण्डवानां निमन्त्रण-प्रतिवचनम्

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Sacrifice Commences and the Pandavas’ Reply to the Invitation

Devanagari script

ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वा: सूतपुत्रेण धीमता

Transliteration

te vadhyamānā gandharvāḥ sūtaputreṇa dhīmatā | āpatad dhi mahāvegaiś citrasenasya sainikaiḥ ||

Translation

ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वाः सूतपुत्रेण धीमता। आपतद्भिर्महावेगैश्चित्रसेनस्य सैनिकैः॥

Word by Word

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वध्यमानाः: being slain/being attacked
• वध्यमानाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्यमान (√वध्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शानच् (present passive participle)

• गन्धर्वाः: Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सूतपुत्रेण: by the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धीमता: wise, intelligent
• धीमता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आपतत्: came rushing/attacked, fell upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √पत्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• महावेगैः: with great speed/impetus
• महावेगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• चित्रसेनस्य: of Chitrasena
• Type: ProperNoun
• Root: चित्रसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सैनिकैः: by/with soldiers
• सैनिकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Gandharvas
• Karna (Sūtaputra)
• Citrasena
• Citrasena's troops

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how force invites counter-force: as Karna strikes the Gandharvas, their numbers surge, showing the rapid escalation and widening of violence once a conflict is joined.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna is attacking the Gandharvas; in response, Citrasena’s swift troops keep arriving in large numbers, quickly filling the battlefield so densely that the earth appears covered with Gandharvas.