Shloka 343

Devanagari script

पृष्ठतोडनुगमिष्यामि सार्थहीनो यथाध्वग: । इसके बाद आपके सत्यपराक्रमी पुत्र राजा दुर्योधनने संदेशवाहक दूतोंसे इस प्रकार कहा-- 'भीमसेनने रणभूमिमें अधर्मसे मेरा वध किया है। अब मैं स्वर्गमें गये हुए द्रोणाचार्य

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | pṛṣṭhato 'nugamiṣyāmi sārthahīno yathādhvagaḥ |

Translation

ข้าจะตามไปเบื้องหลัง—ดุจผู้เดินทางที่พลัดจากกองคาราวานของตน

Word by Word

• पृष्ठतोडम्: one who wounds/strikes from behind; back-stabber
• पृष्ठतोडम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठतोड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुगमिष्यामि: I shall follow
• अनुगमिष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सार्थहीनः: deprived of companions; without a caravan
• सार्थहीनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्थहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अध्वगः: a traveler, wayfarer
• अध्वगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Bhīmasena
• Droṇācārya
• Karṇa
• Śalya
• Vṛṣasena
• Śakuni
• Jalasandha
• Bhagadatta
• Somadatta
• Jayadratha
• Duḥśāsana
• Duḥśāsana's son
• Lakṣmaṇa (Duryodhana's son)
• svarga (heaven)
• raṇabhūmi (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The simile of a lone traveler underscores the ethical and existential consequence of war driven by adharma: when one’s community and moral supports collapse, one is left isolated, merely following the aftermath of destruction rather than walking a purposeful path.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a statement framed as a lament: after the slaughter of many allies and elders, the speaker portrays himself as one left behind without companions, destined to follow them—implicitly toward death and the next world—like a traveler separated from his caravan.