Shloka 1306

Devanagari script

अभ्यवर्तत वेगेन कालयन्‌ पाण्डुवाहिनीम्‌ । उन भागते हुए सैनिकोंपर पीछेसे बाण बिखेरते और पाण्डव-सेनाको खदेड़ते हुए अश्वत्थामाने बड़े वेगसे पीछा किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | abhyavartata vegena kālayan pāṇḍuvāhinīm |

Translation

Sañjaya said: With great speed he pressed forward, harrying the Pāṇḍava host—showering arrows from behind upon the fleeing soldiers and driving the Pāṇḍava army onward in rout.

Word by Word

• अभ्यवर्तत: he pursued / he turned back upon (them)
• अभ्यवर्तत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वेगेन: with speed
• वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कालयन्: driving / impelling / harassing
• कालयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कल् (कालयति)
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डुवाहिनीम्: the Pāṇḍava army
• पाण्डुवाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुवाहिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava army (Pāṇḍuvāhinī)
• Aśvatthāmā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, fear and momentum can override humane restraint; it invites reflection on the ethical cost of relentless pursuit and the tension between martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the attacker (contextually Aśvatthāmā) advances rapidly, chasing and harrying the Pāṇḍava forces, striking the retreating soldiers from behind with volleys of arrows and driving the army into further flight.