Shloka 296

Devanagari script

अपोवाह महाबाहुं तूर्णणायोधनादपि । फिर सम्पूर्ण धनुर्धरोंके देखते-देखते महाबाहु कृतवर्माको अपने रथपर बिठाकर वे उसे तुरंत ही युद्धस्थलसे दूर हटा ले गये

Transliteration

apo vāha mahābāhuṃ tūṛṇaṃ yuddhād api | punaḥ sampūrṇa-dhanurdharāṇāṃ dṛśyatāṃ mahābāhuḥ kṛtavarmāṇaṃ sva-rathe niveśya taṃ tūrṇaṃ yuddha-sthalād dūraṃ apāharat ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The mighty-armed warrior swiftly carried the mighty-armed Kṛtavarmā away from the battle itself. Then, before the very eyes of the fully armed bowmen, he seated Kṛtavarmā upon his own chariot and immediately withdrew him far from the field of combat—an act of protective duty amid the ruthless demands of war.

Word by Word

• अपोवाह: carried away, removed
• अपोवाह: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + वह्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• रणात्: from the battle
• रणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• योधनात्: from the fighting/combat
• योधनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योधन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛtavarmā
• chariot (ratha)
• battlefield (yuddha-sthala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war’s violence, a warrior’s dharma includes protecting comrades and acting decisively to preserve life and fighting capacity; swift, responsible action can be ethically framed as loyalty and duty rather than mere retreat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior quickly removing Kṛtavarmā from immediate danger, placing him on his own chariot, and withdrawing him far from the battlefield, all in full view of armed archers.