Shloka 2

सैन्धवविक्रमवर्णनम् / Description of Jayadratha’s Martial Display

Devanagari script

गाहमानमनीकानि सदश्नैश्न त्रिहायनै: । अपि यौधिष्ठिरात्‌ सैन्यात्‌ कश्चिदन्‍्वपतद्‌ बली

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | gāhamānam anīkāni sadaśvaiś ca trihāyanaiḥ | api yudhiṣṭhirāt sainyāt kaścid anvapatad balī ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “As the battle-lines were plunged into and pressed through—amid swift horses and three-year-old steeds—did any mighty warrior at all pursue from Yudhiṣṭhira’s army?”

Word by Word

• गाहमानम्: entering, plunging into
• गाहमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: गाह् (धातु) → गाहमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त, शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनीकानि: armies, divisions (of troops)
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सदश्वैः: with horses / having horses
• सदश्वैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदश्व (स + अश्व)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रिहायनैः: three-year-old (ones)
• त्रिहायनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिहायन
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• युधिष्ठिरात्: from Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• सैन्यात्: from the army
• सैन्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• कश्चित्: someone, any (one)
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित् (क + चित्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अन्वपतत्: followed, ran after
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• बली: strong, mighty
• बली: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• army (sainya)
• battle formations (anīka)
• horses/steeds (aśva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a ruler’s concern for martial resolve and tactical responsiveness: in war, especially under kṣatriya-dharma, courage is not only to withstand an assault but also to pursue and counter-press when the enemy penetrates the formations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about the battlefield situation: as formations are being driven into amid fast, prime steeds, he asks whether any powerful warrior from Yudhiṣṭhira’s side gave chase—seeking to know if the Pāṇḍava army responded with pursuit or allowed the incursion to go unanswered.