Shloka 32

Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)

Devanagari script

त॑ रथं रथिनां श्रेष्ठा: परिवार्य परंतपा:

Transliteration

taṁ rathaṁ rathināṁ śreṣṭhāḥ parivārya parantapāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: The foremost of chariot-warriors—mighty foes who scorch their enemies—surrounded that chariot on all sides, closing in with disciplined intent amid the press of battle.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• रथिनाम्: of the chariot-warriors
• रथिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठाः: the best
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिवार्य: having surrounded
• परिवार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ (वृञ् वरणे/वृणोति) / परि + वृत् (वर्तने)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage as indeclinable gerund)

• परंतपाः: foe-scorchers (mighty warriors)
• परंतपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• ratha (chariot)
• rathin (chariot-warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield dharma in its tactical form: elite warriors act with coordinated resolve, emphasizing discipline, collective strategy, and the relentless pressure characteristic of righteous (though tragic) kṣatriya warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the leading chariot-fighters encircle a particular chariot, indicating a focused assault or containment maneuver as the battle intensifies.