Shloka 2

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

आर्ष्यशुद्धिं कथं चैव सौभद्र: परवीरहा । तन्ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन यथावृत्तं सम संयुगे

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

ārṣyaśuddhiṁ kathaṁ caiva saubhadraḥ paravīrahā |

tan mamācakṣva tattvena yathāvṛttaṁ raṇe saṁyuge ||

Translation

ధృతరాష్ట్రుడు అన్నాడు—సంజయా! శత్రువీరులను సంహరించే సుభద్రాపుత్రుడు యుద్ధంలో ఆర్యధర్మశుద్ధిని, క్షత్రియమర్యాదను ఎలా నిలబెట్టాడు? జరిగినదాన్ని యథార్థంగా చెప్పు।

Word by Word

• आर्ष्यशुद्धिम्: purification/cleansing (of) rishi-like/Ārṣa (nature)
• आर्ष्यशुद्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्ष्य-शुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सौभद्रः: the son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu)
• सौभद्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परवीरहा: slayer of enemy-heroes
• परवीरहा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-वीर-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter/that account)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मम: to me/of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• आचक्ष्व: tell/relate
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्त्वेन: in truth/accurately
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as/how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वृत्तम्: what happened/the event
• वृत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सम्: together/fully (prefix-like usage)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• संयुगे: in battle/in combat
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)
• Subhadrā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical dimension of warfare: even amid violent conflict, a warrior’s conduct is judged by adherence to a recognized code (ārṣya-śuddhi) and by truthful reporting of events (tattvena, yathāvṛttam).

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions the battle-narrator about Abhimanyu’s conduct and the exact sequence of events in the close engagement, seeking a precise account of how the young hero fought and whether he upheld noble standards.