Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्‌ महाग्निप्रतिमो महात्मा संतापयन्‌ पाण्डवान्‌ विप्रमुख्य:

Transliteration

tasmin mahāgnipratimo mahātmā santāpayān pāṇḍavān vipramukhyaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: In that encounter, the great-souled warrior—like a blazing great fire—scorched the Pāṇḍavas, forcing them to turn away in disarray.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation/place/time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, locative, singular

• महाग्नि-प्रतिमः: like a great fire
• महाग्नि-प्रतिमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाग्निप्रतिम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• महात्मा: the great-souled one
• महात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• संतापयन्: tormenting / scorching
• संतापयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: संतापय् (सन् + तप्, causative)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• पाण्डवान्: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• विप्रमुख्यः: foremost among the vipras (brahmins)
• विप्रमुख्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रमुख्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: extraordinary prowess can overwhelm and cause intense suffering, reminding the listener that victory often comes through fear and pain rather than moral clarity, even within the framework of kṣatriya-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment in the battle where a formidable, ‘fire-like’ great warrior presses the Pāṇḍavas so hard that they are afflicted and driven to turn away from the front, indicating a temporary setback or forced withdrawal.