Shloka 18

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

ज्याक्षेपशरवर्षाणां शस्त्राणां च सहिष्णव: । आशंसन्त: पराज्जेतुं जितश्वासा जितव्यथा:

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

jyākṣepaśaravarṣāṇāṁ śastrāṇāṁ ca sahiṣṇavaḥ |

āśaṁsantaḥ parājjetuṁ jitaśvāsā jitavyathāḥ ||

Translation

持国王说道：“它们能忍受弓弦的迸响与箭雨的倾泻，也能承受兵刃的击打么？怀着战胜仇敌之志，已制伏气息、克服痛楚——它们在战场上难道不曾丧胆么？”

Word by Word

• ज्याक्षेप-शर-वर्षाणाम्: of showers of arrows released with the bowstring’s snap
• ज्याक्षेप-शर-वर्षाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्याक्षेपशरवर्ष (समासप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• शस्त्राणाम्: of weapons
• शस्त्राणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सहिष्णवः: enduring, able to bear
• सहिष्णवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहिष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आशंसन्तः: hoping, expecting
• आशंसन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-शंस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• पराजेतुम्: to defeat
• पराजेतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पराजि (पर + अजि/जि)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• जित-श्वासाः: those whose breath is conquered (unwearied)
• जित-श्वासाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितश्वास (समासप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जित-व्यथाः: those whose pain/distress is conquered
• जित-व्यथाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितव्यथा (समासप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sindhu-deśīya aśvāḥ (horses of Sindhu region)
• jyā (bowstring)
• śara (arrows)
• śastra (weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield steadiness: true martial fitness is not only physical strength but the capacity to endure shock (sound, missiles, blows) without panic—symbolized by ‘conquering breath’ and ‘conquering pain.’

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya (implicitly) whether the famed Sindhu-region horses—trained to withstand arrow-showers and weapon-strikes—remained unafraid amid the terrifying din and pressure of combat.