Shloka 9

भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः

Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array

Devanagari script

रथं च वारयामास कुज्जरेण सुतस्य ते । मार्गमावारितं दृष्टवा राज्ञा वड्भरेन धीमता

Transliteration

rathaṃ ca vārayāmāsa kujjareṇa sutasya te | mārgam āvāritaṃ dṛṣṭvā rājñā vaḍbhareṇa dhīmatā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The wise king Vaḍbhara, seeing that the way had been blocked, halted your son’s chariot by means of a kujjara (a goad/implement).

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वारयामास: stopped/checked
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारणे)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुञ्जरेण: with an elephant
• कुञ्जरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुतस्य: of the son
• सुतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• मार्गम्: path/way
• मार्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आवारितम्: blocked/obstructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वृ (वारणे)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वड्भरेन: by/with Vaḍbhara (proper name/epithet)
• वड्भरेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वड्भर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धीमता: wise/intelligent
• धीमता: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'te'—your son)
• your son (Duryodhana implied by context)
• King Vaḍbhara
• chariot (ratha)
• path/route (mārga)
• kujjara (goad/controlling implement)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid warfare, intelligent leadership may require restraint—checking impulsive movement when circumstances (like a blocked route) demand prudence. The verse highlights controlled action over reckless advance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a wise king named Vaḍbhara, noticing the route was obstructed, intervenes to stop Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son’s chariot using a controlling implement (kujjara), indicating a tactical halt in the battlefield movement.