Shloka 556

Devanagari script

राजन्नन्तरमार्गस्थौ स्थितावास्तां मुहुर्मुहुः | राजन! दोनों ही एक-दूसरेके प्रहारोंमें छिद्र ढूँढ़नेके लिये सतर्क थे। वे बारंबार छिद्रान्वेषणके मार्गमें स्थित हो छिद्र देखनेमें संलग्न रहते थे

Transliteration

rājann antaramārgasthau sthitāv āstāṃ muhur muhuḥ |

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—اے راجن، وہ دونوں یودھا بار بار اسی پیش قدمی کے راستے میں جمے رہتے تھے۔ ایک دوسرے کے واروں میں رخنہ ڈھونڈنے کے لیے وہ ہمیشہ ہوشیار رہتے اور بار بار کمزوری کی جگہ تلاش کرنے میں لگے رہتے تھے۔

Word by Word

राजन्O king

अन्तरमार्गस्थौstanding in the in-between path/interval (i.e., in the opening-seeking course)

स्थितौstanding, stationed

आस्ताम्they two remained/sat

मुहुःagain and again

मुहुःrepeatedly

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra (addressed as Rājan)

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 the disciplined vigilance of warriors: in righteous combat, success depends not only on strength but on steady attention, timing, and self-control—qualities central to kṣatriya conduct and the ethical gravity of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes two combatants who repeatedly pause in a poised stance, watching for a ‘gap’ or opening in each other’s defense, continually seeking the right moment to strike.