Mahabharata 7.204.82 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 204, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

पुराणि न च तं शेकुर्दानिवा: प्रतिवीक्षितुम्‌

Transliteration

purāṇi na ca taṃ śekur dānivāḥ prativīkṣitum

Translation

Maging ang mga matatanda noong unang panahon ay hindi nagawang tumingin sa kanya nang tuwiran; napakasindak at nakalulunod ang anyo.

Word by Word

• पुराणि: ancient (things/ones)
• पुराणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शेकुः: were able
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दानिवाः: the Dānavas (demons)
• दानिवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रतिवीक्षितुम्: to look at, to behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-वि-ईक्ष्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Parasmaipada (usage)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• व्यास (Vyāsa)
• तम् (an unnamed 'him' in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the psychological and ethical weight of war: when violence reaches an extreme, even the most experienced elders cannot bear to witness its results, pointing to the profound human cost that accompanies adharma and unchecked brutality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a moment where an unnamed figure’s appearance or condition is so terrifying or grievous that even venerable, long-experienced persons are unable to look at him directly.