Shloka 37

रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield

Devanagari script

मामकानां परेषां च कि शिष्टमभवद्‌ बलम्‌ | धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! महाधनुर्धर भीष्म, द्रोण तथा महारथी कर्णके मारे जानेपर जब युद्धस्थलमें कौरव और पाण्डवयोद्धा थोड़े-से ही बच गये थे और कुन्तीके पुत्र अत्यन्त कुपित होकर पराक्रम दिखाने लगे थे, उस समय मेरे और शत्रुओंके पक्षमें कितनी सेना शेष रह गयी थी? ।। संजय उवाच यथा वयं परे राजन्‌ युद्धाय समुपस्थिता:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yathā vayaṃ pare rājan yuddhāya samupasthitāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Muôn tâu Đại vương, thần sẽ thuật lại việc quân ta và quân đối địch đã bày trận, đứng sẵn sàng cho cuộc chiến ra sao.”

Word by Word

मामकानाम्of my (people/side)

परेषाम्of the others (the enemy)

चand

किम्what/how much

शिष्टम्remaining

अभवत्was/became

बलम्army/force

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

नnot

पृच्छाasked

संजयO Sañjaya

महाधनुर्धरःthe great bowman

भीष्मःBhīṣma

द्रोणःDroṇa

तथाand also/likewise

महारथीthe great chariot-warrior

कर्णस्यof Karṇa

मारेin the killing (at the time of being slain)

जानेwhen (he) had been slain

परम्beyond/very (intensifier)

युद्धस्थलेon the battlefield

कौरवKauravas

पाण्डवयोद्धाःPāṇḍava warriors

थोड़ेfew

सेonly/just

हीindeed/only

बचremained

गयेhad gone (auxiliary in Hindi)

थेwere

कुन्तीकेof Kuntī

पुत्रsons

अत्यन्तम्exceedingly

कुपितःenraged

होकरhaving become

पराक्रमम्valor

दर्शयामासुःdisplayed/showed

तत्then/at that time

समयेat the time

ममmy

शत्रूणाम्of the enemies

पक्षेon the side (party)

कियतीhow much

सेनाarmy

शेषाremaining

अभवत्was

संजयःSañjaya

उवाचsaid

यथाas/how

वयम्we

परेthe others (the enemy)

राजन्O king

युद्धायfor battle

समुपस्थिताःstood ready/assembled

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kauravas

Pāṇḍavas

Bhīṣma

Droṇa

Karṇa

Kuntī

Kuntīputras (sons of Kuntī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames war-reporting as accountable narration: the king must face the consequences of choices made, and the messenger’s duty is truthful description of how both sides stand after great losses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks how much strength remains on both sides after the fall of major commanders; Sañjaya begins his reply, stating he will describe how the Kauravas and the opposing Pāṇḍavas were positioned and ready for battle.