Shloka 40

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow

Devanagari script

निवर्तमान त॑ दृष्टवा राजान: सर्व एव ते । प्रेक्षका: समपद्यन्त भीष्मशाल्वसमागमे,उन्हें लौटते देख सब राजा भीष्म और शाल्वके युद्धमें कुछ भाग न लेकर केवल दर्शक बन गये

Transliteration

nivartamānān dṛṣṭvā rājānaḥ sarva eva te | prekṣakāḥ samapadyanta bhīṣmaśālvasamāgame ||

Translation

అతడు తిరుగుతున్నదాన్ని చూచి, ఆ రాజులందరూ యుద్ధంలో భాగం తీసుకోకుండా భీష్మ-శాల్వ సమాగమ యుద్ధానికి కేవలం ప్రేక్షకులయ్యారు.

Word by Word

निवर्तमानम्returning, turning back

तंhim

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

राजानःkings

सर्वेall

एवindeed, just

तेthey

प्रेक्षकाःspectators

समपद्यन्तbecame, turned into

भीष्मशाल्वसमागमेin the encounter (battle) of Bhishma and Shalva

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kings (rājānaḥ)

Bhīṣma

Śālva

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 restraint in conflict: leaders may uphold order by not multiplying violence, allowing a contest to remain limited rather than turning into a wider war.

What is happening in the narrative?

As some withdraw, the assembled kings do not intervene; they stand aside as spectators while the confrontation proceeds specifically between Bhīṣma and Śālva.