Mahabharata 7.17.18 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 18

Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout

Chapter 17

Devanagari script

सहिता भ्रातर: पञजच रथानामयुतेन च । न्यवर्तन्त महाराज कृत्वा शपथमाहवे

Transliteration

sahitā bhrātaraḥ pañca rathānām ayutena ca | nyavartanta mahārāja kṛtvā śapatham āhave bharatanandana ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O großer König, Wonne der Bhāratas, er kehrte zurück, begleitet von seinen fünf Brüdern und einem Heer von zehntausend Wagenkriegern, nachdem sie einen feierlichen Schwur für den Kampf abgelegt hatten.“

Word by Word

• सहिता: together/combined
• सहिता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• भ्रातरः: brothers
• भ्रातरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• रथानाम्: of chariots / of chariot-warriors
• रथानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• अयुतेन: with ten thousand
• अयुतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• न्यवर्तन्त: they returned/turned back
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, plural, ātmanepada

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• शपथम्: an oath
• शपथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• भरतनन्दन: O descendant/delighter of Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतनन्दन
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra (implied by mahārāja, bharatanandana)
• five brothers (pañca bhrātaraḥ)
• ten thousand chariot-warriors (rathins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical force of a sworn vow (śapatha) in a warrior context: once an oath is taken for battle, it becomes a binding commitment that shapes conduct and intensifies responsibility for the consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to the king that a warrior returned to the battlefield accompanied by his five brothers and a contingent of ten thousand chariot-fighters, all having taken an oath to fight—signaling organized reinforcement and heightened determination.