Shloka 3

Sañjaya’s Knowledge of Keśava and the Discipline of Indriya-nigraha (संजयस्य केशवज्ञानम्—इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

सापद्ववं कौरवेषु पाण्डवानां सुसम्मतम्‌ । सारासारबल ज्ञातुं तेज:पुञज्जावभासितम्‌

Transliteration

sāpadvavaṁ kauraveṣu pāṇḍavānāṁ susammatam | sārāsārabala jñātuṁ tejaḥpuñjāvabhāsitam ||

Translation

Sanjaya thưa: “Giữa hàng Kaurava, địa vị của các Pāṇḍava đã được thừa nhận và vững bền. Và để phân định sức mạnh chân thực—đâu là thực chất, đâu là rỗng không—một khối hào quang rực rỡ đã hiện ra, bừng cháy sáng lòa.”

Word by Word

साshe/that (woman)

अपद्ववम्a calamity/misfortune (lit. 'ill-omened event')

कौरवेषुamong the Kauravas

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pandavas

सुसम्मतम्well-approved; fully agreed upon

सारthe essence

असारthe non-essence; what is worthless

बलstrength

ज्ञातुम्to know; to ascertain

तेजःsplendor; brilliance

पुञ्जa mass; heap; collection

अवभासितम्illuminated; made manifest

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kauravas

Pāṇḍavas

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 highlights discernment (viveka) in assessing power: true strength is not merely numerical or outward show, but the ‘essence’ (sāra) that stands the test of dharma and resolve; hollow strength (asāra) is exposed when confronted by genuine tejas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment in the Udyoga Parva where the Pāṇḍavas’ stance is seen as sound and accepted, and a striking manifestation of brilliance (‘a mass of splendour’) appears—suggesting the emergence or presence of a formidable, clarifying power that reveals the real balance of strength between the sides.