Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ते तु भित्तवा तव सुतं दःशासनमयोमुखा:

Transliteration

te tu bhittvā tava sutaṃ duḥśāsanam ayomukhāḥ

Translation

三阇耶说道：然而他们铁面无情，猛然冲破阵列，击倒了你的儿子杜沙萨那。此句点出战争阴沉的道德势能：一旦以暴力为国策，纵使强横而恶名昭著者，也难逃其后果。

Word by Word

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

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• भित्त्वा: having split/broken through
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

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

• दुःशासनम्: Duhshasana
• दुःशासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःशासन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अयोमुखाः: iron-faced / having iron mouths (as a descriptor of the warriors)
• अयोमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयोमुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duḥśāsana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of war: once adharma and violence are unleashed, consequences return with force, and even powerful wrongdoers meet the results of their actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that fierce warriors—described as 'iron-faced'—break through the opposing formation and bring down Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son Duḥśāsana.