Shloka 3

Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच शिरस्यभिह्ठतं दृष्टवा भीमसेनेन ते सुतम्‌ । राम: प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठक्षुक्रोध बलवदूबली

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śirasy abhiṣṭhitaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasenena te sutam | rāmaḥ praharatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ krodhaṃ balavad ābabhau ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Tâu Đại vương, thấy con trai bệ hạ bị Bhīmasena giẫm đạp đánh vào đầu, Rāma (Balarāma) hùng mạnh—bậc nhất trong hàng chiến sĩ ra đòn—liền bừng lên cơn thịnh nộ dữ dội.”

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शिरसि: on (the) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अभिहतं: struck, smitten
• अभिहतं: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हन्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• भीमसेनेन: by Bhimasena
• भीमसेनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, Second

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रामः: Rama (Balarama)
• रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहरताम्: of those striking / of the strikers
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हृ
• Form: Present Active Participle (genitive plural), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रुद्धः: angered
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुध्
• Form: Past Active Participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवत्: strongly, mightily
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Neuter (adverbial use), Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उवाली: (uncertain reading; possibly a corruption in the provided text)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उवाली
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra
• Bhimasena (Bhima)
• Duryodhana
• Balarama (Rama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical volatility of war: when a warrior’s action is seen as crossing the bounds of honorable conduct, it can provoke righteous indignation and escalate conflict. Even revered elders like Balarama respond strongly when they perceive a breach of martial propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhimasena has struck/trampled Dhritarashtra’s son (Duryodhana) on the head. Witnessing this, Balarama—renowned as a supreme fighter—becomes intensely angry.