Mahabharata · 6.42.1
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
एवं व्यूढेष्व् अनीकेषु मामकेष्व् इतरेषु च ॥
के पूर्वं प्राहरंस् तत्र कुरवः पाण्डवास् तथा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
evaṃ vyūḍheṣv anīkeṣu māmakeṣv itareṣu ca ||
ke pūrvaṃ prāharaṃs tatra kuravaḥ pāṇḍavās tathā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
धृतराष्ट्र उवाचdhṛtarāṣṭra uvācaDhritarashtra said; Dhritarashtra spoke
एवं व्यूढेष्व् अनीकेषुevaṃ vyūḍheṣv anīkeṣuwhen the armies were thus arrayed; at such a marshaling of the armies
मामकेष्व् इतरेषु चmāmakeṣv itareṣu camine and the others'; among mine and the adversaries'
के पूर्वं प्राहरंस् तत्रke pūrvaṃ prāharaṃs tatrawho struck first there; who began the attack
कुरवः पाण्डवास् तथाkuravaḥ pāṇḍavās tathāthe Kurus and the Pandavas alike; the Kauravas or the Pandavas
Translation
Dhritarashtra said: "When the armies of my sons and their adversaries were thus arrayed, who struck the first blow there — the Kurus or the Pandavas?"
Version
eb5d96808dbc · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:12:34 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra's question pulls the narrative back from the height of moral tension to the very start of the fighting. His interest is turned not toward dharma but toward the course of the battle and the fate of his own side.