Shloka 47

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

विरथं सहसा कृत्वा भीमसेनमथाहसत्‌ । सहदेवं च निर्जित्य शरै: संनतपर्वभि:

Transliteration

virathaṃ sahasā kṛtvā bhīmasenam athāhasat | sahadevaṃ ca nirjitya śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having suddenly rendered Bhīmasena chariotless, he then laughed; and after also defeating Sahadeva with arrows whose joints were well-set, he pressed the attack onward.

Word by Word

वि-रथम्without a chariot; chariotless

सहसाsuddenly; hastily; by force

कृत्वाhaving made (him)

भीमसेनम्Bhimasena (Bhima)

अथthen; thereafter

अहसत्laughed

सहदेवम्Sahadeva

चand

निर्जित्यhaving conquered/defeated

शरैःwith arrows

संनत-पर्वभिःhaving bent joints/knots (i.e., well-jointed)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Sahadeva

arrows (śara)

chariot (ratha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: battlefield success can tempt a warrior toward mockery and humiliation of the fallen. It implicitly raises the ethical question of restraint—whether victory should be accompanied by dignity rather than contempt—especially when opponents are rendered helpless (e.g., made chariotless).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the course of the battle narration, a warrior (contextually, an opposing champion) suddenly makes Bhīma chariotless and laughs in triumph; he then also overcomes Sahadeva using well-made arrows, indicating a swift sequence of tactical dominance over two Pāṇḍava fighters.