Shloka 54

Devanagari script

प्रतपन्तमिवादित्यं मध्यमासाद्य सेनयो: । वरान्‌ वरान्‌ विनिष्नन्तं पाण्डुपुत्रस्य सैनिकान्‌

Transliteration

pratapantam ivādityaṁ madhyam āsādya senayoḥ | varān varān viniṣṇantaṁ pāṇḍuputrasya sainikān |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having reached the very midst of the two armies, he blazed like the sun in its heat, striking down—again and again—the foremost warriors among the troops of the son of Pāṇḍu.

Word by Word

• प्रतपन्तम्: scorching, blazing
• प्रतपन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रतप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आदित्यम्: the Sun
• आदित्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मध्यम्: the middle (center)
• मध्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having reached, having come to
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), Parasmaipada (usage as indeclinable)

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

• वरान्: excellent, choice
• वरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वरान्: excellent (repeated for emphasis: the very best)
• वरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विनिष्नन्तम्: striking down, slaying
• विनिष्नन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डुपुत्रस्य: of the son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सैनिकान्: soldiers
• सैनिकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Āditya (the Sun)
• the two armies (Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces)
• Pāṇḍuputra (a Pāṇḍava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war magnifies individual power into overwhelming destruction, prompting reflection on the ethical burden of kṣatriya combat: even when framed as duty, the reality is the repeated fall of the ‘best’ among men.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior entering the center between the two armies and, shining like the sun, repeatedly cutting down the foremost fighters among the Pāṇḍava troops.