Mahabharata · 7.81.1
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
अर्जुने सैन्धवं प्राप्ते भारद्वाजेन संवृताः ॥
पाञ्चालाः कुरुभिः सार्धं किम् अकुर्वत संजय ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
arjune saindhavaṃ prāpte bhāradvājena saṃvṛtāḥ ||
pāñcālāḥ kurubhiḥ sārdhaṃ kim akurvata saṃjaya ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अर्जुने सैन्धवम् प्राप्तेarjune saindhavam prāptewhen Arjuna caught up with the Sindhian; with Arjuna, having reached the Sindhian
भारद्वाजेन संवृताःbhāradvājena saṃvṛtāḥrestrained by the son of Bharadvaja [Drona]; held back by the son of Bharadvaja
पाञ्चालाः कुरुभिः सार्धम्pāñcālāḥ kurubhiḥ sārdhamthe Panchalas together with the Kurus; the Panchalas together with the Kurus
किम् अकुर्वत संजयkim akurvata saṃjayawhat did they do, Sanjaya; what were they doing, Sanjaya
Translation
"When Arjuna caught up with the Sindhian, what were the Panchalas doing together with the Kurus, held back by the son of Bharadvaja [Drona], Sanjaya?"
Version
f6d0d4ecc37e · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:22 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra asks about the wing of the battle where Arjuna is not — where Yudhishthira has been left undefended. It is telling that the blind king's thought follows the danger to his sons, not the fate of the righteous one: he asks what the enemies are doing the moment the terrible archer is drawn away. The verse teaches that the removal of a guardian exposes the one guarded, and the anxiety of a house turns toward the place where a breach has opened — for calamity waits for the moment when protection is turned aside.