Shloka 26

Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)

Devanagari script

तांस्तथा समुदीक्ष्याथ कौरवाणां महारथान्‌ | अयुद्धमनसं चैव राजानं स्थितमम्भसि

Transliteration

tāṁs tathā samudīkṣyātha kauravāṇāṁ mahārathān | ayudhamanasaṁ caiva rājānaṁ sthitam ambhasi ||

Translation

کوروؤں کے اُن مہارتھیوں کی وہ کیفیت دیکھ کر، اور پانی میں کھڑے بادشاہ کے دل میں جنگ کا جوش نہ پا کر، نیز آب میں رہنے والے نریش کے ساتھ اُن تینوں کی گفتگو سن کر، شکاری سمجھ گئے کہ دُریودھن اسی تالاب کے پانی میں چھپا ہوا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• समुदीक्ष्य: having looked at/observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+ईक्ष्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• कौरवाणाम्: of the Kauravas
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महारथान्: great chariot-warriors
• महारथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अयुद्धमनसम्: whose mind was not set on fighting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुद्ध-मनस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्थितम्: standing/remaining
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अम्भसि: in the water
• अम्भसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaurava mahārathas
• Duryodhana
• Vyādha (hunter)
• Sarovara (lake/pond)
• Ambhas/Salila (water)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological collapse that follows sustained adharma: when a leader abandons the warrior’s duty and hides, the community’s remaining strength becomes directionless, and truth is exposed through observation and testimony.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the hunter, after observing the Kaurava great warriors and realizing the king in the water lacked the will to fight, and after hearing the exchange with the water-hidden king, inferred that Duryodhana was concealed in that very lake.