Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake

Devanagari script

विनिभिद्याकरोच्चैव सिंहनादमरिंदम: । तेन शब्देन वित्रस्ता: सर्वे सहयवारणा:

Transliteration

vinibhidyākaroccai eva siṃhanādam ariṃdamaḥ | tena śabdena vitrastāḥ sarve saha hayavāraṇāḥ ||

Translation

శత్రుదమనుడు వారిని ఛేదించి, ఆపై ఘోరంగా సింహనాదం చేసెను. ఆ ధ్వనితో గుర్రాలు, ఏనుగులతో సహా అందరూ భీతిల్లిపోయిరి.

Word by Word

विनिभिद्यhaving pierced/split

अकरोत्made/uttered

चand

एवindeed/just

सिंहनादम्a lion-roar (roar like a lion)

अरिंदमःenemy-subduer (the foe-crusher)

तेनby that

शब्देनby the sound

वित्रस्ताःfrightened/terrified

सर्वेall

सहtogether with

यवारणाःhorses and elephants (cavalry and elephants)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

ariṃdamaḥ (a foe-subduing warrior, unnamed here)

horses (haya)

elephants (vāraṇa)

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 how courage and force are not only physical but also psychological: a warrior’s decisive breakthrough and fearless battle-cry can shatter enemy morale, affecting even animals and thereby the entire war-machine.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of combat, a powerful warrior breaks through the opposing formation and roars like a lion; the resulting sound spreads panic so widely that all—fighters as well as their horses and elephants—become frightened.