Shloka 363

नारायणास्त्र-शमनं द्रौणि-प्रहारश्च

Pacification of the Nārāyaṇāstra and Drauni’s Renewed Assault

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यमभितो राजन्‌ क्रूरमायोधनं बभौ । प्रजापालक नरेश! चारों ओर एक-दूसरेपर आक्रमण करनेवाले घुड़सवारों और हाथीसवारोंके संघर्षसे वह रणभूमि अत्यन्त दारुण प्रतीत होने लगी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | anyonyam abhito rājan krūram āyodhanaṃ babhau |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，四面八方战势皆显得阴沉而残酷；诸勇士彼此逼近，相互冲击。那本应由奉持正法的君王用以护佑臣民的战场，如今却令人悚然——暴烈昭示：战争一旦放纵，便会淹没克制，使守护之责转为毁灭。”

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, one another
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative usage)

• अभितः: all around
• अभितः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभितः
• Form: Avyaya

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्रूरम्: cruel, fierce
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आयोधनम्: battle, fighting
• आयोधनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयोधन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• बभौ: appeared, shone, seemed
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (भाति)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• rājan (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical tragedy of war: when mutual aggression takes hold, the battlefield becomes 'krūra' (pitiless), and the kingly duty of protecting subjects is eclipsed by uncontrolled violence—hinting that dharma is hardest to preserve amid collective fury.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that the fighting has intensified on all sides, with combatants attacking one another in close, mutual engagement, making the battlefield appear extremely fierce and dreadful.