Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यस्तु शूरतमो राजन्नुभयो: सेनयोर्मत: । त॑ पटच्चरहन्तारं लक्ष्मण: समवारयत्‌

Transliteration

yastu śūratamo rājann ubhayoḥ senayor mataḥ | taṁ patañcarahantāraṁ lakṣmaṇaḥ samavārayat ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: O König, den Krieger, der in beiden Heeren als der Tapferste galt—ihn selbst—stellte Lakṣmaṇa, der Töter Patañcaras, und hielt ihn auf. Im Gedränge der Schlacht wird der Ruf der Tüchtigkeit zum sittlichen Pfand: Dem ersten Helden tritt ein ebenso unbeugsamer Herausforderer entgegen, da jede Seite Ehre und Pflicht inmitten der Gewalt des Krieges zu wahren sucht.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• शूरतमः: the bravest
• शूरतमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूरतम (प्रातिपदिक; शूर + तमप्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• उभयोः: of both
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• सेनयोः: of the two armies
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Dual

• मतः: considered/held to be
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त; √मन् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पटच्चरहन्तारम्: the slayer of the Pataccaras (a named group/warriors)
• पटच्चरहन्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटच्चरहन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; पटच्चर + हन्तृ)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समवारयत्: warded off/checked
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + √वृ (वारयति; causative of √वृ/√वृञ् 'to check/ward off')
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Patañcara
• the two armies (Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting renowned valor with steadfast resistance: in war, duty and honor are asserted by directly confronting the most formidable opponent, even when the outcome is uncertain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warrior famed as the bravest across both armies—identified by the epithet 'slayer of Patañcara'—is opposed and checked in battle by Lakṣmaṇa.