Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपना बा | अकाल चतुष्पञ्चशत्तमो< ध्याय: भीमसेनका कलिंगों और निषादोंसे युद्ध

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tathā pratisaṃādiṣṭaḥ kaliṅgādhipo vāhinīpatiḥ | bhīmasenaṃ mahābalaṃ kathaṃ yuyudhe sañjaya ||

Translation

持国（Dhṛtarāṣṭra）说道：“三阇耶啊，当军队统帅——迦陵伽王——如此领受了（由难敌所下的）命令之后，他是以何种方式与大力的毗摩塞那交战的？”

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• प्रतिसमादिष्टः: having been instructed/commanded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिसमादिश्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• कालिङ्गः: the king/man of Kalinga
• कालिङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्रोणः: Drona
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाहिनीपतिः: commander of an army
• वाहिनीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमसेनम्: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबलम्: very strong/mighty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

ध्ृतराष्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Kaliṅga (Kaliṅga king/commander)
• Duryodhana (implied as the one giving orders)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of command in war: leaders issue orders, and commanders execute them, setting in motion consequences that must be faced on the battlefield. It frames warfare as structured by duty and hierarchy, while implicitly questioning the motives behind such commands.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe how the Kaliṅga king—serving as an army commander after receiving Duryodhana’s instruction—fought against the immensely powerful Bhīma. This introduces the upcoming account of their combat.