Shloka 37

Devanagari script

महाथनुर्धर: श्रीमानमित्रगणतापन: । पांचालराजकुमार, पांचाल महारथी और महामनस्वी पुरुषसिंह धृष्टद्युम्मन उन पैदल सैनिकोंका संहार करके भीमसेनको आगे किये शीघ्र ही वहाँ दिखायी दिये। वे महाधनुर्धर, तेजस्वी और शत्रुसमूहोंको संताप देनेवाले हैं ।। पारावतसवर्णाश्वं कोविदारमयध्वजम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

mahā-dhanurdharaḥ śrīmān mitra-gaṇa-tāpanaḥ |

pāñcāla-rāja-kumāraḥ pāñcāla-mahā-rathī ca mahā-manāḥ puruṣa-siṃhaḥ dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ sa padāti-sainyān saṃhṛtya bhīmasenaṃ puraskṛtya śīghraṃ tatra dṛśyate |

sa mahā-dhanurdharaḥ tejasvī ca śatru-samūha-tāpanaḥ ||

pārāvata-savarṇāśvaṃ kovidāra-maya-dhvajam |

Translation

Sañjaya said: The illustrious great bowman, who scorches the ranks of foes—Pāñcāla’s prince, the Pāñcāla mahāratha, the high-souled lion among men, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—having cut down those foot-soldiers and set Bhīmasena at the fore, swiftly appeared there. A mighty archer was he, radiant in prowess, a tormentor of the enemy host—seen with horses the color of a dove and a banner fashioned of kovidāra-wood.

Word by Word

• महाधनुर्धरः: a great bow-bearer (mighty archer)
• महाधनुर्धरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाधनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीमान्: splendid, illustrious
• श्रीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अमित्रगणतापनः: one who torments the host of enemies
• अमित्रगणतापनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित्रगणतापन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पारावतसवर्णाश्वम्: having horses of dove-like color
• पारावतसवर्णाश्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारावतसवर्णाश्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कोविदारमयध्वजम्: having a banner made of (or bearing the emblem of) the kovidāra tree
• कोविदारमयध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविदारमयध्वज
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Pāñcāla (people/kingdom)
• infantry (padāti-sainya)
• horses (aśva) of dove-like color
• banner/standard (dhvaja) of kovidāra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: disciplined leadership under pressure, swift action after protecting one’s side, and the ethical ideal of placing a powerful protector (Bhīma) at the forefront to safeguard the army while pursuing victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Dhṛṣṭadyumna—Pāñcāla’s prince and a foremost chariot-warrior—who, after slaughtering enemy foot-soldiers, advances rapidly with Bhīma leading, and is identified by his dove-colored horses and kovidāra-made banner.