Shloka 15

भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-समागमः

Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Engagement at Sunset

Devanagari script

तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम सम्प्रहारं सुदारुणम्‌ । यदकुर्वन्‌ रणे शूरा: सृंजया: कुरुभि: सह

Transliteration

tatrādbhutam apaśyāma samprahāraṃ sudāruṇam | yad akurvan raṇe śūrāḥ sṛñjayāḥ kurubhiḥ saha ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：大王啊！我等在那里目睹了一场奇异而又极其惨烈的交锋——那是英勇的斯林阇耶诸将与俱卢军同在战阵中所为的可怖厮杀。噬敌之王啊！四面八方箭矢如雨，密至遮蔽一切，以致我们连天空、太阳、诸方位与间方都看不见了。

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: indeclinable (place adverb)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 1st person, plural, parasmaipada

• सम्प्रहारम्: clash, combat
• सम्प्रहारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्प्रहार
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful
• सुदारुणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दरुण
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अकुर्वन्: they did / they performed
• अकुर्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd person, plural, parasmaipada

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• शूराः: heroes, brave men
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सृंजयाः: the Sṛñjayas
• सृंजयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृंजय
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• कुरुभिः: with/by the Kurus
• कुरुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह
• Form: indeclinable (postposition governing instrumental)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sṛñjayas
• Kurus
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the paradox of war: it can appear ‘adbhuta’ (astonishing) in scale and valor, yet it is ‘sudāruṇa’ (terrible) in consequence. It implicitly cautions that martial excellence and collective duty do not erase the ethical weight of destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he ‘saw’ on the battlefield: an intense, dreadful engagement in which the Sṛñjaya warriors fought alongside/against the Kurus in a fierce clash of arms.