Shloka 61

Devanagari script

प्राग्ज्योतिषस्ततो हित्वा पाण्डवं पाण्डुपूर्वज । प्रययौ त्वरितो राजन द्रुपदस्य रथं प्रति

Transliteration

prāgjyotiṣas tato hitvā pāṇḍavaṁ pāṇḍupūrvaja | prayayau tvarito rājan drupadasya rathaṁ prati ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Bhagadatta, the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, leaving aside the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna), swiftly advanced, O King, toward the chariot of Drupada.

Word by Word

• प्राग्ज्योतिषः: the king of Pragjyotisha (Bhagadatta)
• प्राग्ज्योतिषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राग्ज्योतिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• हित्वा: having left/abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• पाण्डवम्: the Pandava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डुपूर्वज: O elder brother of Pandu (Yudhishthira)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रययौ: went/advanced
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• त्वरितः: swift/hastened
• त्वरितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• द्रुपदस्य: of Drupada
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhagadatta
• Prāgjyotiṣa
• Arjuna
• Drupada
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield discernment and the fluidity of duty in war: a warrior may shift focus to protect or strike strategically significant figures, reflecting the harsh ethical landscape of kṣatriya conflict where outcomes depend on timely decisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagadatta, king of Prāgjyotiṣa, disengages from Arjuna and quickly moves to attack Drupada’s chariot, indicating a tactical redirection toward another prominent leader on the Pāṇḍava side.