Shloka 8

Devanagari script

पार्थ: पञ्च शतान्‌ शूरान्‌ पर्वतीयान्‌ महारथान्‌ | परीप्समान: सौवीरं जघान ध्वजिनीमुखे,इसी प्रकार अर्जुनने सौवीरराज जयद्रथको पकड़नेकी इच्छा रखकर सेनाके अग्रभागमें स्थित पाँच सौ शूरवीर पर्वतीय महारथियोंको मार डाला

Transliteration

pārthaḥ pañcaśatān śūrān parvatīyān mahārathān | parīpsamānaḥ sauvīraṃ jaghāna dhvajinīmukhe ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Arjuna, intent on seizing the king of Sauvīra (Jayadratha), struck down five hundred valiant mountain-born great chariot-warriors who stood at the very front of the army.

Word by Word

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

पञ्चfive

शतान्hundreds

शूरान्heroes, brave warriors

पर्वतीयान्mountain(-dwelling), of the mountains

महारथान्great chariot-warriors

परीप्समानःdesiring to obtain/capture

सौवीरम्the Sauvira king (Jayadratha)

जघानslew, killed

ध्वजिनीमुखेat the front of the army

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna (Pārtha)

Sauvīra

Jayadratha

mountain warriors (parvatīyāḥ)

army vanguard (dhvajinīmukha)

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?

The verse presents martial action as goal-directed within kṣatriya-dharma: Arjuna’s violence is narrated as serving a specific pursuit—bringing a culpable king (Jayadratha) to account—rather than as aimless slaughter, highlighting intention and responsibility in warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Arjuna advances to seize Jayadratha, he meets resistance at the army’s front line and cuts down five hundred elite mountain warriors positioned in the vanguard, clearing the way toward his target.