Shloka 8

Omens in the Kuru Host and Droṇa’s Recognition of Arjuna (क्लीबवेषधारी पार्थ-परिज्ञानम्)

Devanagari script

गावो राष्ट्रस्य कुरुभि: काल्यन्ते नो बृहन्नले । ता विजेतुं मम भ्राता प्रयास्यति धनुर्धर:,“बृहन्नले! हमारे राष्ट्रकी गौओंको कौरव हाँककर लिये जाते हैं; अतः उन्हें जीतनेके लिये मेरे भैया धनुष धारण करके जानेवाले हैं

Transliteration

gāvo rāṣṭrasya kurubhiḥ kālyante no bṛhannale | tā vijetuṃ mama bhrātā prayāsyati dhanurdharaḥ ||

Translation

“โอ้ บฤหันนลา! พวกกุรุกำลังต้อนโคของแว่นแคว้นเราไป ดังนั้นพี่ชายของข้า—ผู้ทรงธนู—จึงกำลังออกไปเพื่อชิงกลับมาให้ได้”

Word by Word

गावःcows

राष्ट्रस्यof the kingdom

कुरुभिःby the Kurus

काल्यन्तेare being driven/urged on

नःour

बृहन्नलेO Bṛhannalā

ताःthem (those cows)

विजेतुम्to conquer/recapture

ममmy

भ्राताbrother

प्रयास्यतिwill go forth

धनुर्धरःbow-bearer, archer

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bṛhannalā

Kuru (Kauravas)

cows/cattle (gāvaḥ)

kingdom/state (rāṣṭra)

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 rājadhrama/kṣatriya-dharma: a ruler’s side must protect the kingdom’s resources and people from unjust appropriation. Recovering stolen cattle is presented as a rightful, duty-bound response rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Kurus have seized and are driving away the cattle belonging to Virāṭa’s realm. Addressing Bṛhannalā (Arjuna in disguise), the speaker states that the prince’s ‘brother’—i.e., the prince himself as a bowman—is going out to reclaim the cattle, setting up the ensuing confrontation.