Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ते सर्वे तावकान प्रेक्ष्य द्रयतो5पि पराड्मुखान्‌

Transliteration

te sarve tāvakān prekṣya dravatopi parāṅmukhān

Translation

వారు అందరూ మీ సైనికులను చూచిరి—వారు తొందరగా పరుగెత్తుచూ కూడా వెనుదిరిగి పారిపోతుండిరి.

Word by Word

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

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तावकान्: your men (your side's warriors)
• तावकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ईक्ष्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• द्रवत: running, fleeing
• द्रवत: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रवत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पराङ्मुखान्: turned away, facing away (with backs turned)
• पराङ्मुखान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s troops (Kaurava army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In war and in life, collective strength depends on steadiness and discipline; when fear spreads and people turn away from their duty, even a large force can collapse into flight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava troops are seen fleeing with their backs turned—an indication of a sudden rout or loss of cohesion on Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s side during the battle.