Shloka 37

Devanagari script

महाथनुर्धर: श्रीमानमित्रगणतापन: । पांचालराजकुमार, पांचाल महारथी और महामनस्वी पुरुषसिंह धृष्टद्युम्मन उन पैदल सैनिकोंका संहार करके भीमसेनको आगे किये शीघ्र ही वहाँ दिखायी दिये। वे महाधनुर्धर, तेजस्वी और शत्रुसमूहोंको संताप देनेवाले हैं ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

mahā-dhanurdharaḥ śrīmān mitra-gaṇa-tāpanaḥ |

pāñcāla-rāja-kumāraḥ pāñcāla-mahā-rathī ca mahā-manāḥ puruṣa-siṃhaḥ dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ sa padāti-sainyān saṃhṛtya bhīmasenaṃ puraskṛtya śīghraṃ tatra dṛśyate |

sa mahā-dhanurdharaḥ tejasvī ca śatru-samūha-tāpanaḥ ||

pārāvata-savarṇāśvaṃ kovidāra-maya-dhvajam |

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: El ilustre gran arquero, que abrasa las filas enemigas—el príncipe de Pāñcāla, el mahāratha de Pāñcāla, el magnánimo león entre los hombres, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—tras segar a aquellos infantes y poner a Bhīmasena al frente, apareció allí con presteza. Era un arquero poderoso, radiante en su valor, y tormento de las huestes adversarias. (Se le vio) con caballos del color de la paloma y un estandarte hecho de madera de kovidāra.

Word by Word

• महाधनुर्धरः: a great bow-bearer (mighty archer)
• महाधनुर्धरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाधनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीमान्: splendid, illustrious
• श्रीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अमित्रगणतापनः: one who torments the host of enemies
• अमित्रगणतापनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित्रगणतापन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पारावतसवर्णाश्वम्: having horses of dove-like color
• पारावतसवर्णाश्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारावतसवर्णाश्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कोविदारमयध्वजम्: having a banner made of (or bearing the emblem of) the kovidāra tree
• कोविदारमयध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविदारमयध्वज
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Pāñcāla (people/kingdom)
• infantry (padāti-sainya)
• horses (aśva) of dove-like color
• banner/standard (dhvaja) of kovidāra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: disciplined leadership under pressure, swift action after protecting one’s side, and the ethical ideal of placing a powerful protector (Bhīma) at the forefront to safeguard the army while pursuing victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Dhṛṣṭadyumna—Pāñcāla’s prince and a foremost chariot-warrior—who, after slaughtering enemy foot-soldiers, advances rapidly with Bhīma leading, and is identified by his dove-colored horses and kovidāra-made banner.