Shloka 2

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system

Devanagari script

आजानेयै: सुबलिभिरययन्तमश्रैस्त्रिहायनै: । प्लवमानमिवाकाशे के शूरा: समवारयन्‌

Transliteration

ājāneyaiḥ subalibhir ayayantam aśraiḥ trihāyanaiḥ | plavamānam ivākāśe ke śūrāḥ samavārayan |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Which heroes checked him as he advanced—his chariot drawn by powerful, well-bred three-year-old horses—so that he seemed to be gliding through the sky?”

Word by Word

• आजानेयैः: with (horses) of the Ājāneya breed
• आजानेयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आजानेय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुबलिभिः: very strong
• सुबलिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुबलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अययन्तम्: driving/causing to go (a chariot/one who is driving)
• अययन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अश्रैः: with horses
• अश्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रिहायनैः: three-year-old
• त्रिहायनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिहायन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• प्लवमानम्: leaping/soaring
• प्लवमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• के: which?/who?
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (किम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शूराः: heroes/warriors
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समवारयन्: checked/stopped/warded off
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) (सम्+आ+√वृ/वारय्)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• heroes/warriors (śūrāḥ)
• chariot (implied by ayayantam)
• horses (ājāneyāḥ, aśvāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse spotlights a key kṣatriya measure of excellence: not only the ability to surge forward with speed and power, but also the opposing heroes’ capacity to restrain and contain that force. In epic ethics, valor includes disciplined resistance, not merely aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior advancing in a chariot drawn by powerful, high-bred, three-year-old horses, moving so swiftly it appears to float in the sky. He then asks which heroes managed to stop or check this onrushing fighter.