Shloka 16

अध्याय ७५ — दैव-पुरुषकार-समन्वयः

Reconciling Contingency and Human Effort

Devanagari script

मया प्रणुन्नान्‌ मातड्रान्‌ रथिन: सादिनस्तथा । तथा नरानभिक्रुद्ध॑ निष्नन्तं क्षत्रियर्षभान्‌

Transliteration

mayā praṇunnān mātaṅgān rathinaḥ sādinastathā | tathā narān abhikruddhān niṣṇantaṃ kṣatriyarṣabhān ||

Translation

Bhīmasena said: “I have driven on and routed the elephants; likewise the chariot-warriors and the horsemen. I have also struck down men who had charged in fury—bulls among kṣatriyas.”

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Tritiya, Ekavacana

• प्रणुन्नान्: driven/urged on
• प्रणुन्नान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नुद्
• Form: Pum, Dvitiya, Bahuvacana

• मातॄन्: mothers
• मातॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Stri, Dvitiya, Bahuvacana

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Pum, Prathama, Bahuvacana

• सादिनः: horsemen/cavalry
• सादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादिन्
• Form: Pum, Prathama, Bahuvacana

• तथा: and likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• तथा: also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Pum, Dvitiya, Bahuvacana

• अभिक्रुद्धम्: enraged/angered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-क्रुध्
• Form: Pum, Dvitiya, Ekavacana

• निष्णन्तम्: slaying, striking down
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Pum, Dvitiya, Ekavacana

• क्षत्रियर्षभान्: bulls among kshatriyas (foremost warriors)
• क्षत्रियर्षभान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय-ऋषभ
• Form: Pum, Dvitiya, Bahuvacana

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīmasena
• war-elephants (mātaṅga)
• chariot-warriors (rathin)
• horsemen (sādin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects the kṣatriya ethos of martial duty: in the context of impending conflict, Bhīma asserts his capacity to confront every arm of an army (elephants, chariots, cavalry) and to meet fierce opponents without hesitation—an ethic of courage and readiness within the warrior code.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīmasena is speaking in Udyoga Parva, emphasizing his battlefield strength. He declares that he has already routed major military units and slain enraged, elite kṣatriya fighters, underscoring his confidence and intimidation of adversaries.