Shloka 403

Devanagari script

अभ्यवर्तन्त संरब्धान्‌ वृषाञ्जित्वा यथा वृषा: । उन सबने आपके सैनिकोंको पीठ दिखाकर भागते देख उनका उसी प्रकार पीछा किया, जैसे साँड़ रोषमें भरे हुए दूसरे साँड्रोंको जीतकर उन्हें खदेड़ने लगते हैं

Transliteration

abhyavartanta saṃrabdhān vṛṣāñ jitvā yathā vṛṣāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing your soldiers turn their backs and flee, they pursued them relentlessly—just as enraged bulls, having overpowered rival bulls, drive them away in triumph.

Word by Word

• अभ्यवर्तन्त: they pursued / they turned towards (in pursuit)
• अभ्यवर्तन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• संरब्धान्: enraged, furious
• संरब्धान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संरब्ध (from सम्-√रभ्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वृषान्: bulls
• वृषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जित्वा: having conquered
• जित्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वृषाः: bulls
• वृषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• your soldiers (Kaurava army, implied)
• the pursuers (opposing warriors, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a battlefield ethic and psychology: when an army loses courage and cohesion and turns its back, the opponent’s aggression intensifies and pursuit becomes inevitable. It warns that fear and disorder magnify defeat, while steadfastness preserves both honor and tactical safety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing warriors chased the king’s fleeing troops. The pursuit is compared to enraged bulls driving off defeated rivals, emphasizing the force and inevitability of the rout.