Shloka 5

उत्तरो बृहन्नडां सारथ्याय नियुङ्क्ते — Uttara Appoints Bṛhannadā as Charioteer

Devanagari script

षष्टिं गवां सहस्राणि कुरव: कालयन्ति च । महता रथवंशेन परिवार्य समन्तत:,वे कौरव वीर राजा विराटकी साठ हजार गौओंको विशाल रथसमूहोंद्वारा चारों ओरसे घेरकर हाँक ले चले

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṁ gavāṁ sahasrāṇi kuravaḥ kālayanti ca | mahatā rathavaṁśena parivārya samantataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The Kurus drove off sixty thousand cattle, surrounding them on all sides with a great array of chariots.

Word by Word

षष्टिम्sixty

गवाम्of cows

सहस्राणिthousands

कुरवःthe Kurus

कालयन्तिdrive (along), herd

चand

महताwith a great

रथवंशेनwith a line/array of chariots

परिवार्यhaving surrounded

समन्ततःon all sides

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kuravaḥ (Kauravas)

cattle (gavām)

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 highlights adharma in the form of coercive seizure of another’s wealth (cattle), implying that power and military might do not justify wrongdoing; such acts invite rightful resistance and moral scrutiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Kurus (Kauravas) are herding away sixty thousand cattle, having encircled them with a large chariot force, indicating an organized raid that escalates the conflict involving King Virāṭa’s realm.