Shloka 14

द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake

Devanagari script

अभ्यघ्नंस्तावकान्‌ युद्धे मुहूर्तादिव भारत । ततो नि:शेषमभवत्‌ तत्‌ सैन्यं तव भारत

Transliteration

abhyaghnan stāvakān yuddhe muhūrtādiva bhārata | tato niḥśeṣam abhavat tat sainyaṃ tava bhārata ||

Translation

桑阇耶说道：“婆罗多啊，般度五子的军势在战斗中击倒你的人，仿佛只在一瞬（muhūrta）之间。随后，婆罗多啊，你的军队被灭尽无遗——你方武士无一生还。”

Word by Word

• अभ्यघ्नन्: they struck down / slew
• अभ्यघ्नन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हन् (धातु: हन्)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3, Plural

• तावकान्: your men (your side’s warriors)
• तावकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मुहूर्तात्: within a muhūrta / in less than a muhūrta
• मुहूर्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• इव: as if / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• निःशेषम्: entirely / without remainder
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (adverbial use), Singular

• अभवत्: became / came to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3, Singular

• तत्: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you / your
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address “Bhārata” and “tava”)
• Pāṇḍavas (Pāṇḍava-senā, implied)
• Kaurava troops (tāvakāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the swift and total collapse that can follow when a cause is already morally and strategically exhausted: once adharma-driven conflict reaches its culmination, destruction can come suddenly and leave nothing behind. It also highlights the tragic consequence of obstinacy and misjudgment in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍava forces rapidly slaughtered the Kaurava troops; within what seems like a single muhūrta, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s army was annihilated completely, with no survivors.