Shloka 36

अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च

Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter

Devanagari script

तमारोप्य रथे राजन्‌ दण्डधारो नराधिपम्‌

Transliteration

tam āropya rathe rājan daṇḍadhāro narādhipam

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Oh rey, tras alzar a aquel soberano de los hombres y subirlo al carro, el portador del bastón (el auriga o asistente) lo sostuvo y lo aseguró—imagen del deber en el campo de batalla, donde aun en la violencia se honra el cuidado del caído y el orden en el cumplimiento del propio papel.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आरोप्य: having mounted/placed (him) up
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• रथे: in/on the chariot
• रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दण्डधारः: the staff-bearer (policeman/guard)
• दण्डधारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डधार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नराधिपम्: the lord of men (king)
• नराधिपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• King (Dhritarashtra, addressed as rājan)
• ratha (chariot)
• daṇḍa (staff/rod of authority)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights role-based duty (svadharma) in war: even in chaos, attendants act with discipline and responsibility toward a leader, reflecting the ethical expectation of order, protection, and proper conduct amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to the king that an attendant/charioteer (daṇḍadhāra) lifts a ruler (narādhipa) onto a chariot—suggesting the removal or securing of a king/commander in the midst of battle.