Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततः कुरुषु भग्नेषु बीभत्सुरपराजित:

Transliteration

tataḥ kuruṣu bhagneṣu bībhatsur aparājitaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als daraufhin die Heere der Kuru zerschlagen und ins Wirrsal gestürzt waren, blieb Bībhatsu (Arjuna) unbesiegt—stand fest inmitten des Zusammenbruchs der feindlichen Reihen, ein Zeichen dafür, dass standhafter Entschluss und gerechter Zweck gemäß dem Dharma fortbestehen können, selbst wenn Heere wanken.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

कुरुषुamong the Kurus

भग्नेषुwhen (they were) broken/defeated

बीभत्सुःArjuna (the Terrible one)

अपराजितःunconquered, undefeated

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kurus (Kaurava host)

Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid the chaos of war and the collapse of opposing forces, the verse highlights steadfastness and moral resolve: the righteous warrior remains unshaken and 'unconquered' not merely by strength, but by disciplined purpose and adherence to duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Kuru troops have been broken and routed. In that moment of Kaurava disarray, Arjuna—called Bībhatsu—stands undefeated, indicating his dominance on the battlefield at this stage of the Karṇa Parva.