Mahabharata 7.188.28 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 188, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

विस्मिताश्वा भवन्‌ केचित्‌ केचिदासन्नमर्षिता: । कुछ योद्धा लड़नेका उत्साह खो बैठे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vismitāśvā bhavan kecit kecid āsann amarṣitāḥ | hastyaiḥ stāgram apare pratyapiṃṣan narādhipāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Có chiến binh sững sờ kinh ngạc, lại có kẻ bị cơn phẫn uất dữ dội chiếm lấy. Một số vua chúa thúc voi của mình xông thẳng vào mũi ‘voi trận’, vì tự ái bị tổn thương và vì đạo của kṣatriya—kẻ thì nhụt chí trước cảnh uy dũng, kẻ thì bừng bừng quyết tâm đáp trả bằng bạo lực.”

Word by Word

• विस्मिताः: astonished
• विस्मिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (वि+स्मि धातु से क्त; ‘आश्चर्यचकित’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्: you (sir); O one present
• भवन्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• केचित्: some (people/warriors)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (कश्चित्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (कश्चित्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (to be)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• अमर्षिताः: enraged; full of indignation
• अमर्षिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षित (अमर्ष ‘क्रोध/असहिष्णुता’ से तद्धित/कृदन्त; ‘क्रुद्ध’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हस्तैः: with hands
• हस्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स्ताग्रम्: hand-to-hand (contact); fist-to-fist (reading uncertain)
• स्ताग्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्ताग्र (स्त + अग्र; ‘हाथ-से-हाथ/मुष्टि-से-मुष्टि’ अर्थ में संदिग्ध पाठ)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रत्यपिंषन्: struck/crushed (in return); pounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: पिष् (to crush, pound) with प्रति-
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• नराधिपाः: kings; rulers of men
• नराधिपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (नर + अधिप)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• narādhipāḥ (kings)
• hastin (elephants)
• aśva (horses)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-psychological tension of war: the same display of valor can produce fear, awe, or righteous indignation. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma—honor and endurance—while also showing how emotions can sway judgment on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes mixed reactions among the combatants: some are astonished and lose momentum, others become enraged and surge forward, and some kings counter by advancing with elephants against the opposing elephant-front.