Shloka 16

धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)

Devanagari script

भगदत्त: कृप: शल्य आवन्त्यो5थ जयद्रथ: । भूरिश्रवा: सोमदत्तो महाराजश्न बाह्विक:

Transliteration

bhagadattaḥ kṛpaḥ śalya āvantyo ’tha jayadrathaḥ | bhūriśravāḥ somadatto mahārājaś ca bāhvikaḥ ||

Translation

భగదత్తుడు, కృపుడు, శల్యుడు, అవంతి రాజు, జయద్రథుడు; భూరిశ్రవుడు, సోమదత్తుడు, అలాగే మహారాజు బాహ్లికుడు.

Word by Word

भगदत्तःBhagadatta

कृपःKripa

शल्यःShalya

आवन्त्यःthe Avanti king (Avanti)

अथand/then

जयद्रथःJayadratha

भूरिश्रवाःBhurishravas (one of great fame)

सोमदत्तःSomadatta

महाराजःthe great king

चand

बाह्विकःBahvika

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhagadatta

Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)

Śalya

Avanti (king of Avanti)

Jayadratha

Bhūriśravas

Somadatta

Bāhlika (Bāhvika)

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 burden of power in wartime: to name and marshal great warriors is to accept accountability for the destruction their strength can bring. It implicitly points to the ruler’s responsibility (rājadharma) in choosing counsel, alliances, and the path of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra enumerates notable Kaurava-side fighters—Bhagadatta, Kṛpa, Śalya, the Avanti king, Jayadratha, Bhūriśravas, Somadatta, and Bāhlika—situating them among the principal forces active in the Shalya Parva war narrative.