Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतस्य बहुला: सेना: पज्चालाश्च प्रभद्रका: । तेनासौ रथवंशेन महत्‌ कर्म करिष्यति,८#दर न्स | कर है 5 5 कि २ पक बेड (२ ५ | ड्ं ; श ॥ उसके साथ पांचालों और प्रभद्रकोंकी बहुत बड़ी सेना है। वह उन रथियोंके समूहद्वारा युद्धमें महान्‌ कर्म कर दिखायेगा

Transliteration

etasya bahulāḥ senāḥ pāñcālāś ca prabhadrakāḥ | tenāsau rathavaṁśena mahat karma kariṣyati ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Auf seiner Seite stehen gewaltige Heere — die Panchalas und die Prabhadrakas. Gestützt auf diese Schar von Wagenkämpfern wird er in der Schlacht eine große Tat vollbringen.“

Word by Word

एतस्यof this (man)

बहुलाःmany, numerous

सेनाःarmies

पाञ्चालाःthe Panchalas

चand

प्रभद्रकाःthe Prabhadrakas

तेनby that; with that

असौhe (that man)

रथवंशेनby the line/group of chariot-warriors

महत्great

कर्मdeed, feat

करिष्यतिwill do, will accomplish

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Panchalas

Prabhadrakas

chariot-warriors (rathins)

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?

The verse highlights how alliances and collective martial capacity shape outcomes in dharmic conflict: a leader’s ‘great deed’ is enabled not only by personal valor but by the support of strong, well-aligned forces—especially elite chariot-warriors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is assessing the opposing side’s strength, noting that this warrior has the substantial backing of the Panchalas and Prabhadrakas; with such a chariot-heavy force, he is expected to perform major feats in the coming battle.