Shloka 21

Bhīmasena’s Digvijaya and Tribute Return (भीमस्य दिग्विजयः धननिवेदनं च)

Devanagari script

ततः सुद्यांश्व चोलांश्व किरीटी पाण्डवर्षभ: । सहित: सर्वसैन्येन प्रामथत्‌ कुरुनन्दन:,इसके बाद पाण्डवप्रवर कुरुकुलनन्दन किरीटीने अपनी सारी सेनाके साथ धावा करके सुह्य तथा चोल-देशकी सेनाओंको मथ डाला

Transliteration

tataḥ sudyāṁś ca colāṁś ca kirīṭī pāṇḍavarṣabhaḥ | sahitaḥ sarvasainyena prāmathat kurunandanaḥ ||

Translation

Then the diadem-wearing hero—best of the Pāṇḍavas, the delight of the Kuru line—advanced together with his entire army and crushed the forces of the Sudyās and the Cholas.

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereafter

सुद्यान्the Sudyas (people/warriors)

चand

चोलान्the Cholas (people/warriors)

चand

किरीटीthe diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

पाण्डवर्षभःthe bull among the Pandavas (best of the Pandavas)

सहितःaccompanied/along with

सर्वसैन्येनwith the entire army

प्रामथत्crushed/ground down/overpowered

कुरुनन्दनःO descendant/delight of the Kurus (vocative-like epithet used in narration)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kirīṭī (Arjuna)

Pāṇḍavas

Kuru lineage

Sudyās (people/contingent)

Cholas (people/contingent)

army (sainya)

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?

Though primarily narrative, the verse reflects the kṣatriya frame of dharma: a leader acts decisively with organized force to protect his side’s aims. The emphasis on ‘with the entire army’ highlights collective discipline and command, not isolated heroics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kirīṭī (Arjuna), described with honorific epithets, launches an assault along with all his troops and routs the contingents identified as the Sudyās and the Cholas, indicating a decisive battlefield success against these regional forces.