Shloka 326

रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield

Devanagari script

अभ्यद्रवन्त राजेन्द्र जिघांसन्त: पराम्‌ युधि | राजेन्द्र! भीमसेन और महारथी सोमकगणोंने युद्धमें शत्रुओंका संहार करनेकी इच्छासे कृपाचार्यपर धावा बोल दिया

Transliteration

abhyadravanta rājendra jighāṃsantaḥ parān yudhi |

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: O hari, sumugod sila sa labanan na may hangaring pumatay ng kaaway. Kaya si Bhīmasena at ang mga dakilang mandirigmang karwahe sa hanay ng mga Somaka ay dumaluhong kay Kṛpācārya, udyok ng pagnanais na lipulin ang kalaban.

Word by Word

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: they rushed/charged
• अभ्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Plural, परस्मैपद

• राजेन्द्र: O lord of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जिघांसन्तः: wishing to kill
• जिघांसन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) (desiderative: जिघांस्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पराम्: the enemy/other side (as object)
• पराम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक: युध्/युध्-)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by rājendra address)
• Bhīmasena
• Somakas
• Kṛpācārya
• battlefield (Kurukṣetra implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma: once war is joined, warriors act with decisive intent against designated enemies. It also underscores how intention (jighāṃsā—desire to kill) drives action, reminding readers that in the epic, moral weight is closely tied to motive as well as deed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Bhīmasena and the Somaka mahārathas surge forward and launch an assault on Kṛpācārya, aiming to cut down enemies in the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle.