Shloka 13

Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)

Devanagari script

प्रतिविद्धाश्व भूयिष्ठं ये शिष्टास्तत्र सैनिका: । न ते वेगं विषहितुं शक्तास्तव विशाम्पते

Transliteration

pratividdhāśva bhūyiṣṭhaṃ ye śiṣṭās tatra sainikāḥ | na te vegaṃ viṣahituṃ śaktās tava viśāmpate ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Those soldiers who remained there in the greatest number—men of standing—had their horses pierced. O lord of the people, they were not able to endure your onrush; they could not withstand the force of your assault.

Word by Word

• प्रतिविद्धाश्व: having their horses pierced/wounded
• प्रतिविद्धाश्व: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिविद्ध + अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भूयिष्ठम्: mostly, for the most part
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयिष्ठ

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिष्टाः: remaining, left (over)
• शिष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• सैनिकाः: soldiers
• सैनिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वेगम्: speed, force, rush
• वेगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विषहितुम्: to endure, to withstand
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सह
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• शक्ताः: able, capable
• शक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तव: of you, your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम् + पते
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• viśāmpati (king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• soldiers (sainikāḥ)
• horses (aśvāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the harsh reality of war: even disciplined and reputable warriors can be overwhelmed when force and momentum break their formation. It implicitly highlights the ethical weight of leadership in battle—power and speed bring decisive results, but at the cost of suffering to men and animals alike.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that many of the remaining soldiers—described as śiṣṭa, men of standing—had their horses struck, and they were unable to bear the attacking warrior’s momentum. The line functions as a battlefield update emphasizing the irresistible force of the assault.