Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ते सर्वे तावकान प्रेक्ष्य द्रयतो5पि पराड्मुखान्‌

Transliteration

te sarve tāvakān prekṣya dravatopi parāṅmukhān

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Thấy toàn bộ quân của ngài quay lưng, vội vã tháo chạy, chàng nhận ra rõ cảnh tan vỡ của đội ngũ ấy.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तावकान्: your men (your side's warriors)
• तावकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ईक्ष्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• द्रवत: running, fleeing
• द्रवत: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रवत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पराङ्मुखान्: turned away, facing away (with backs turned)
• पराङ्मुखान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s troops (Kaurava army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In war and in life, collective strength depends on steadiness and discipline; when fear spreads and people turn away from their duty, even a large force can collapse into flight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava troops are seen fleeing with their backs turned—an indication of a sudden rout or loss of cohesion on Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s side during the battle.