Shloka 12

Devanagari script

हतप्रवीरैर्भूयिष्ठैर्धजैर्बहुपताकिभि: । वृत:ः शारद्वतोड5गच्छत्‌ कष्ट कष्टमिति ब्रुवन्‌,शरद्वानके पुत्र कृपाचार्य बहुसंख्यक ध्वजा-पताकाओंसे सुशोभित बहुत-से सैनिकोंद्वारा घिरे हुए थे। उनकी सेनाके प्रमुख वीर मारे गये थे। वे भी “हाय! बड़े कष्टकी बात है, बड़े कष्टकी बात है' ऐसा कहते हुए युद्धभूमिसे खिसक गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | hatapravīrair bhūyiṣṭhair dhajair bahupatākibhiḥ | vṛtaḥ śāradvato ’gacchat kaṣṭa kaṣṭam iti bruvan |

Translation

అనేక ధ్వజాలు, బహు పతాకాలు ధరించిన సైనికులతో చుట్టుముట్టబడి ఉన్నప్పటికీ, తన పక్షంలోని ప్రధాన వీరులు హతులైన శారద్వతుడు (కృపాచార్యుడు) “అయ్యో! ఎంత కష్టం, ఎంత కష్టం!” అని పదే పదే విలపిస్తూ యుద్ధభూమి నుంచి వెనుదిరిగాడు।

Word by Word

हतप्रवीरैःby (those) whose chief heroes were slain

भूयिष्ठैःby very many / most numerous

ध्वजैःby banners/standards

बहुपताकिभिःby those having many pennants

वृतःsurrounded

शारद्वतःŚāradvata (Kr̥pa)

अगच्छत्went / withdrew

कष्टalas! (an exclamation of distress)

कष्टम्misery / hardship

इतिthus

ब्रुवन्saying

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śāradvata (Kṛpa, Kṛpācārya)

battlefield (raṇabhūmi)

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 psychological and ethical burden of warfare: outward symbols of power (flags, banners, formations) cannot erase the inner shock and sorrow that follow the loss of leading warriors. Even an elder teacher like Kṛpa, famed for steadiness, is driven to lament and withdraw—showing that war’s consequences are not merely strategic but deeply human.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Śāradvata Kṛpa, though still surrounded by many bannered troops, has seen the chief heroes of his side fall. Overcome with distress, he retreats from the battlefield while repeatedly exclaiming “kaṣṭa, kaṣṭa”—“how terrible!”