Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ध्ृतराष्ट्र ववाच तस्मिन्नन्तहिते तूर्ण कूटयोधिनि राक्षसे । मामकै: प्रतिपन्नं यत्‌ तन्‍्ममाचक्ष्व संजय,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! बताओ, माया-युद्ध करनेवाले उस राक्षसके तत्काल अदृश्य हो जानेपर मेरे पुत्रोंने क्या सोचा और क्या किया?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tasminn antahite tūrṇaṁ kūṭa-yodhini rākṣase | māmakaiḥ pratipannaṁ yat tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||

Translation

ధృతరాష్ట్రుడు అన్నాడు—సంజయా! మాయాయుద్ధం చేసే ఆ రాక్షసుడు వెంటనే అదృశ్యమైనప్పుడు, నా కుమారులు ఏమి గ్రహించారు, ఏమి నిర్ణయించారు, తరువాత ఏమి చేశారు—నాకు చెప్పు.

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

उवाचsaid

तस्मिन्in/when that (one)

अन्तर्हितेhaving disappeared; hidden

तूर्णम्quickly; suddenly

कूटयोधिनिin the deceitful fighter; one who fights by trickery

राक्षसेin/when the rākṣasa (demon)

मामकैःby my people; by my sons/side

प्रतिपन्नम्resolved/undertaken; thought/decided

यत्what; that which

तत्that

ममto me; of me

आचक्ष्वtell; relate

संजयO Sañjaya

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

rākṣasa (unnamed)

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 the ethical tension in war: when combat is driven by māyā and deception (kūṭa-yuddha), leaders become anxious about right conduct and practical response. It frames a moral concern—how one should judge and act when the opponent’s methods undermine straightforward kṣatriya norms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about a critical moment: a rākṣasa skilled in deceptive fighting suddenly becomes invisible. The king asks what the Kauravas (his side) thought, decided, and did in response to that disappearance.