Shloka 18

शल्यपर्वणि प्रथमाध्यायः — Karṇa-vadha-anantaraṃ Śalya-niyogaḥ, Saṃjayasya Dhṛtarāṣṭra-nivedanam

Devanagari script

दृष्टवैव च पुरे राजज्जन: सर्व: स संजयम्‌ । क्लेशेन महता युक्त सर्वतो राजसत्तम

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvaiva ca pure rājan janaḥ sarvaḥ sa sañjayam | kleśena mahatā yuktaṃ sarvato rājasattama ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：“大王啊，城中百姓一见到三阇耶，便从四面八方被巨大的忧苦所击中——他所背负的沉重苦痛如此分明，而他在战后到来又如此不祥。”

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-भावार्थ (gerundial)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• राजत्-जनः: the shining/illustrious people (the populace)
• राजत्-जनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजत्-जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वः: all (entire)
• सर्वः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संजयम्: Sanjaya
• संजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्लेशेन: with distress/affliction
• क्लेशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• युक्तः: endowed/afflicted; joined with
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides; entirely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• राजसत्तम: O best of kings
• राजसत्तम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sañjaya
• the city (pura)
• the people (janaḥ)
• the King (rājan/rājasattama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the consequences of adharma and war spread beyond the battlefield: even a messenger’s appearance can awaken collective sorrow, reminding rulers that public suffering is an ethical cost of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the city, people see Sañjaya and immediately feel intense distress, sensing from his condition and presence that grave news has arrived from the war-front.