Arjuna’s Inner Struggle - 01 - 02

The Shloka

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सञ्जय उवाच।

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा ।

आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

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Sanjaya uvāca.

Dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁ vyūḍhaṁ Duryodhanastadā.

Ācāryamupasaṅgamya rājā vacanamabravīt.

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Meaning / Summary

This shloka marks the official start of Sanjaya’s narration of the battlefield events to Dhritarashtra. It immediately focuses on Duryodhana, the primary antagonist, and his initial reaction to the Pandava army. By observing Duryodhana’s immediate concern and his turning to Dronacharya, the verse sets the stage for the crucial dialogue that reveals the military strengths and weaknesses perceived by the Kaurava leader. It establishes Duryodhana’s character as anxious and reliant on his guru’s expertise, leading directly into his enumeration of the warriors on both sides.

Sanjaya said: At that time, King Duryodhana, having seen the army of the Pandavas arrayed in military formation, approached his teacher Dronacharya and spoke these words.

Sanjaya narrates that Duryodhana, upon seeing the Pandava army skillfully arrayed for battle, went to his teacher Dronacharya and began to speak.

Sanjaya, serving as the narrator and direct reporter to the blind King Dhritarashtra, begins his account of the war’s commencement. He states that Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kaurava brothers and the de facto king leading his forces, observed the opposing army of the Pandavas. Duryodhana did not merely see them; he specifically noted that their army was ‘vyūḍham’ – meticulously arrayed, organized, and strategically positioned in a formidable military formation, indicating their preparedness and strength. This observation seemingly caused Duryodhana some apprehension or concern. Immediately after this observation, Duryodhana, recognizing the gravity of the situation and seeking counsel or intending to articulate his thoughts, went directly to his revered teacher and military commander, Dronacharya, and began to speak.

Sentence - 1

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सञ्जय उवाच।

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Meaning

Sanjaya said.

Meaning of Words

सञ्जय	Sanjaya
Sanjaya was the charioteer and confidential advisor to King Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapura. He was granted a special boon by the great sage Vyasa, which gave him divine vision (divya-drishti) to see and hear everything happening on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, even from a distance. This boon allowed him to narrate the entire war, including the profound dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, to King Dhritarashtra. He is the principal narrator of the Bhagavad Gita, conveying the divine discourse to the blind king.
उवाच	uvāca
said, spoke This verb indicates that Sanjaya is the speaker of the following verses, continuing his narration to King Dhritarashtra. It marks the commencement of his detailed report of the events on the battlefield.

Sentence - 2

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दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा ।

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Meaning

Then Duryodhana, having seen the army of the Pandavas arrayed (in formation).

Meaning of Words

दृष्ट्वा	dṛṣṭvā
having seen, after seeing This word signifies that the action of ‘seeing’ was completed by Duryodhana before he performed his next action (speaking). It emphasizes that his subsequent speech was a direct reaction to his observation of the Pandava army.
तु	tu	indeed, then, but
पाण्डवानीकम्	pāṇḍavānīkam
the army of the Pandavas This is a compound word referring to the military force assembled by the Pandavas. ‘Pāṇḍava’ literally means ‘descendants of Pandu’ and refers to the five sons of King Pandu (Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva), along with their allies and forces. They were the rightful claimants to the throne of Hastinapura, having been deprived of their kingdom by Duryodhana and his brothers. ‘Anīkam’ means ‘army’ or ‘host.’
व्यूढम्	vyūḍham
arrayed, arranged, marshaled This word describes the state of the Pandava army, indicating that it was not a disorganized crowd but was meticulously organized and positioned in a specific, strategic military formation, ready for battle. This suggests careful planning, discipline, and preparedness on the part of the Pandavas, which would naturally concern their adversaries.
दुर्योधनः	Duryodhanaḥ
Duryodhana was the eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers, the son of King Dhritarashtra, and the primary antagonist in the epic Mahabharata. His name can be interpreted as ‘one who is difficult to conquer’ or ‘one who fights with difficulty,’ reflecting his stubborn and formidable nature. He was characterized by his intense jealousy, ambition, and unyielding desire for power, which ultimately led to the devastating Kurukshetra war. He was the reigning king of Hastinapura at the time of the war.
तदा	tadā
then, at that time This adverb establishes the temporal sequence, indicating that Duryodhana’s subsequent actions and speech occurred immediately after he observed the meticulously arranged Pandava army.

Sentence - 3

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आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

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Meaning

Approaching his teacher, the king spoke these words.

Meaning of Words

आचार्यम्	ācāryam
to the teacher, to the preceptor This refers to Dronacharya, who was the royal guru and military instructor to both the Kaurava and Pandava princes in archery and other martial arts. He was a highly revered figure, a great warrior, and the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army. Duryodhana approaches him as his esteemed teacher and military strategist.
उपसङ्गम्य	upasaṅgamya
having approached, drawing near This word describes Duryodhana’s action of moving directly towards his teacher, Dronacharya. It implies a deliberate and immediate approach, signifying his intention to consult or address Dronacharya without delay, likely due to his observations and concerns about the opposing army.
राजा	rājā
the king This title refers to Duryodhana. Although his father, Dhritarashtra, was the titular king of Hastinapura, Duryodhana was effectively ruling and held the practical power and command of the Kaurava forces on the battlefield. This emphasizes his position of authority and responsibility as the leader of his army.
वचनम्	vacanam
words, speech This refers to the specific statements, address, or discourse that Duryodhana is about to deliver to Dronacharya, which will be detailed in the subsequent verses.
अब्रवीत्	abravīt
spoke, said This verb signifies the act of uttering words or commencing a speech. It indicates that Duryodhana then began to articulate his thoughts and observations to Dronacharya, setting the stage for his detailed assessment of the opposing forces.

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