Shloka 363

नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च

Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यमभितो राजन्‌ क्रूरमायोधनं बभौ । प्रजापालक नरेश! चारों ओर एक-दूसरेपर आक्रमण करनेवाले घुड़सवारों और हाथीसवारोंके संघर्षसे वह रणभूमि अत्यन्त दारुण प्रतीत होने लगी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | anyonyam abhito rājan krūram āyodhanaṃ babhau |

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—اے راجن، ہر سمت ایک دوسرے پر ٹوٹ پڑنے سے جنگ نہایت سفّاک اور بےرحم دکھائی دینے لگی۔ اے رعایا کے پالنے والے نریش! گھڑ سواروں اور ہاتھی سواروں کے ہولناک تصادم سے وہ رن بھومی انتہائی دَارُون محسوس ہونے لگی۔

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, one another
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative usage)

• अभितः: all around
• अभितः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभितः
• Form: Avyaya

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्रूरम्: cruel, fierce
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आयोधनम्: battle, fighting
• आयोधनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयोधन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• बभौ: appeared, shone, seemed
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (भाति)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rājan (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical tragedy of war: when mutual aggression takes hold, the battlefield becomes 'krūra' (pitiless), and the kingly duty of protecting subjects is eclipsed by uncontrolled violence—hinting that dharma is hardest to preserve amid collective fury.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that the fighting has intensified on all sides, with combatants attacking one another in close, mutual engagement, making the battlefield appear extremely fierce and dreadful.