Shloka 35

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

संशप्तकाश्न ते वीरा राक्षसाविष्टचेतस:

Transliteration

saṁśaptakāś ca te vīrā rākṣasāviṣṭa-cetasaḥ

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Ang mga mandirigmang iyon—nakagapos sa kanilang sinumpaang panata—ay tila sinakmal ang isip ng pagkabaliw na gaya ng rākṣasa, na wari’y sinapian, at sumugod nang walang ingat, may pasyang mapanira.

Word by Word

• saṃśaptakāḥ: the sworn (warriors), the Saṃśaptakas
• saṃśaptakāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaptaka
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• te: they
• te: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tvad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• vīrāḥ: heroes, warriors
• vīrāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• rākṣasāviṣṭa-cetasaḥ: whose minds are possessed/overpowered by rākṣasas
• rākṣasāviṣṭa-cetasaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rākṣasa-āviṣṭa-cetas
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Saṁśaptakas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse cautions that courage and commitment become ethically dangerous when driven by delusion or demonic rage; vows and martial zeal must remain guided by discernment (viveka) and dharma rather than obsession.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a group of vowed fighters (Saṁśaptakas) charging forward with minds overwhelmed—portrayed as rākṣasa-like possession—signaling uncontrolled ferocity and a readiness for extreme violence.