Shloka 37

Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host

Devanagari script

सा वध्यमाना महती सेना तव नराधिप । अमुह्दत्‌ तत्र तत्रैव योषिन्मदवशादिव

Transliteration

sā vadhyamānā mahatī senā tava narādhipa | amuhyat tatra tatraiva yoṣinmada-vaśād iva ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：大王啊，当你的大军被不断斩杀之时，竟在战场上一次又一次陷入迷乱——如同被女色之醉所制的人一般，在屠戮之中失却镇定与清明的判断。

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (army)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वध्यमाना: being slain/being killed
• वध्यमाना: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Passive, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महती: great, huge
• महती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सेना: army
• सेना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अमुह्यत्: became bewildered, was confused
• अमुह्यत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), Past, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तत्र: here and there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• योषित्: a woman
• योषित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मद: by intoxication/pride
• मद: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वशात्: from being under control (of)
• वशात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• narādhipa (the king, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Kaurava army (tava senā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, under extreme violence and fear, even a large force can lose discernment and cohesion; it warns that loss of self-control (vaśa) produces moha, undermining duty and effective action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that the Kaurava host, while being heavily attacked and slain, repeatedly became disoriented across the battlefield, wavering and scattering as if intoxicated and unable to think clearly.