Shloka 19

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

हया: पराजिता: शीघ्रा भारद्वाजरथोद्वहा: । ते सम रुक्मरथे युक्ता नरवीरसमास्थिता:

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

hayāḥ parājitāḥ śīghrā bhāradvāja-rathodvahāḥ |

te sama rukma-rathe yuktā nara-vīra-samāsthitāḥ ||

Translation

持国王说道：“牵引婆罗门裔婆罗陀婆阇战车的迅捷骏马已被制伏；然而正是这些骏马，再度套上那饰以黄金的战车，在英勇战士的驾驭之下依然稳立不动。”

Word by Word

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पराजिताः: defeated/overpowered
• पराजिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराजित (√जि with परा-, past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शीघ्राः: swift
• शीघ्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भारद्वाज-रथ-उद्वहाः: the chariot-bearers/drivers of Bharadvaja (Drona)
• भारद्वाज-रथ-उद्वहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्वह (ud+√vah) (as noun/adj: bearer/driver); with qualifiers भारद्वाज, रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• सम्: together/fully
• सम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• रुक्म-रथे: in/on the golden chariot
• रुक्म-रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्म-रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• युक्ताः: yoked/harnessed
• युक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (√युज्, past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नर-वीर-समास्थिताः: mounted/occupied by heroic men
• नर-वीर-समास्थिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समास्थित (सम्+आ+√स्था, past participle); with qualifiers नर, वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhāradvāja (Droṇa)
• horses
• golden chariot (rukma-ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when strength (symbolized by the horses) is checked or ‘defeated,’ disciplined reorganization and steadfast leadership can restore effectiveness; in war-ethics, resilience and control are praised over panic and collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing the battle report, notes that the swift horses of Droṇa’s (Bhāradvāja’s) chariot were overcome, but they are again harnessed to a gold-adorned chariot and stand ready under heroic warriors—signaling a regrouping and return to combat readiness.