Shloka 38

Devanagari script

हत्वा शतसहस््राणि पत्तीनां परमेषुभि: । वाजिनां च शतान्यष्टौ पाण्डव: सम विराजते,तदनन्तर भीमसेनने आवरणोंसहित पाँच सौ विशाल रथोंका संहार करके युद्धमें सात सौ हाथियोंकी सेनाको पुनः मार गिराया। फिर उत्तम बाणोंद्वारा एक लाख पैदलों और सवारोंसहित आठ सौ घोड़ोंका वध करके पाण्डव भीमसेन विजयश्रीसे सुशोभित होने लगे

Transliteration

hatvā śatasahasrāṇi pattīnāṃ parameṣubhiḥ | vājīnāṃ ca śatāny aṣṭau pāṇḍavaḥ samavirājate ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having slain hundreds of thousands of foot-soldiers with his finest arrows, and likewise eight hundreds of horses, the Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena) shone forth on the battlefield.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), परस्मैपद-भावार्थ (क्रियाविशेषण)

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पत्तीनाम्: of foot-soldiers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• परम: excellent, supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• इषुभिः: with arrows
• इषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वाजिनाम्: of horses
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (गणनापद), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (Bhimasena)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सम्: fully, altogether
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• विराजते: shines, is resplendent
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena)
• infantry (patti)
• horses (vājin)
• arrows (iṣu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox of martial glory: a warrior may ‘shine’ through victory, yet that radiance is built upon immense loss of life. It invites reflection on the ethical gravity of warfare even when performed as kṣatriya-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports Bhīmasena’s battlefield feat: he kills vast numbers of infantry with superb arrows and also destroys eight hundred horses, after which he appears resplendent with victory on the field.