Shloka 3

Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच शिरस्यभिह्ठतं दृष्टवा भीमसेनेन ते सुतम्‌ । राम: प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठक्षुक्रोध बलवदूबली

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śirasy abhiṣṭhitaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasenena te sutam | rāmaḥ praharatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ krodhaṃ balavad ābabhau ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，见你的儿子被毗摩塞那以践踏之击踏中头颅，强大的罗摩（婆罗罗摩）——战场上出手者之最——顿时被猛烈的怒火攫住。”

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शिरसि: on (the) head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अभिहतं: struck, smitten
• अभिहतं: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हन्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• भीमसेनेन: by Bhimasena
• भीमसेनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, Second

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रामः: Rama (Balarama)
• रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहरताम्: of those striking / of the strikers
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हृ
• Form: Present Active Participle (genitive plural), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रुद्धः: angered
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुध्
• Form: Past Active Participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवत्: strongly, mightily
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Neuter (adverbial use), Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उवाली: (uncertain reading; possibly a corruption in the provided text)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उवाली
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra
• Bhimasena (Bhima)
• Duryodhana
• Balarama (Rama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical volatility of war: when a warrior’s action is seen as crossing the bounds of honorable conduct, it can provoke righteous indignation and escalate conflict. Even revered elders like Balarama respond strongly when they perceive a breach of martial propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhimasena has struck/trampled Dhritarashtra’s son (Duryodhana) on the head. Witnessing this, Balarama—renowned as a supreme fighter—becomes intensely angry.