Shloka 40

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow

Devanagari script

निवर्तमान त॑ दृष्टवा राजान: सर्व एव ते । प्रेक्षका: समपद्यन्त भीष्मशाल्वसमागमे,उन्हें लौटते देख सब राजा भीष्म और शाल्वके युद्धमें कुछ भाग न लेकर केवल दर्शक बन गये

Transliteration

nivartamānān dṛṣṭvā rājānaḥ sarva eva te | prekṣakāḥ samapadyanta bhīṣmaśālvasamāgame ||

Translation

毗湿摩波罗衍那说：见他们回转，诸王皆不再插手争斗，只作旁观者，注视毗湿摩与萨尔瓦的相会交锋。此景凸显一刻克制：与其加入战团使纷争更炽，群集的君王选择观望，让决斗自行进行，不致演变为群起的冲突。

Word by Word

• निवर्तमानम्: returning, turning back
• निवर्तमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवर्त (धातु: √वृत्/√वर्त्, उपसर्ग: नि)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तं: him
• तं: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• प्रेक्षकाः: spectators
• प्रेक्षकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेक्षक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समपद्यन्त: became, turned into
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √पद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• भीष्मशाल्वसमागमे: in the encounter (battle) of Bhishma and Shalva
• भीष्मशाल्वसमागमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म-शाल्व-समागम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• Bhīṣma
• Śālva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights restraint in conflict: leaders may uphold order by not multiplying violence, allowing a contest to remain limited rather than turning into a wider war.

What is happening in the narrative?

As some withdraw, the assembled kings do not intervene; they stand aside as spectators while the confrontation proceeds specifically between Bhīṣma and Śālva.