Shloka 38

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

दिग्भ्यस्तान्‌ प्रद्रुतान्‌ दृष्टवा मुनि: सारस्वतस्तदा

Transliteration

digbhyas tān pradrutān dṛṣṭvā muniḥ sārasvatas tadā

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：其时，他见那些人向四方奔逃，圣者萨罗湿伐多当即看清了溃散之势——此景昭示：当战争中决心与正当秩序崩塌时，恐惧与混乱足以驱散甚至武装之众。

Word by Word

• दिग्भ्यः: from the directions
• दिग्भ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Ablative, Plural

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रद्रुतान्: fleeing / having run away
• प्रद्रुतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + द्रु (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सारस्वतः: Sarasvata (named/descended from Sarasvatī)
• सारस्वतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sārasvata (sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral-psychological truth of warfare: when discipline and dharma-based resolve break, fear spreads and people scatter in every direction. It implicitly contrasts steadiness and duty with panic-driven flight.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the sage Sārasvata observes people/warriors fleeing on all sides, indicating a moment of battlefield disorder or rout that sets up the next action or counsel in the episode.