Shloka 24

अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः

Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle

Devanagari script

शकुने भ्रातरो वीरा गवाक्ष: शरभो विभु: । सुभगो भानुदत्तश्न शूरा: पजच महारथा:

Transliteration

śakune bhrātaro vīrā gavākṣaḥ śarabho vibhuḥ | subhago bhānudattaś ca śūrāḥ pañca mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : « Les frères de Śakuni—vaillants héros—Gavākṣa, Śarabha, Vibhu, Subhaga et Bhānudatta : ces cinq-là étaient de puissants mahārathas. » Dans l’atmosphère morale du récit guerrier, le vers souligne comment des lignées entières sont entraînées dans un conflit mû par l’adharma, où la loyauté au clan et au parti attise l’escalade de la violence.

Word by Word

शकुनेःof Shakuni

भ्रातरःbrothers

वीराःheroic

गवाक्षःGavaksha (proper name)

शरभःSharabha (proper name)

विभुःVibhu (proper name / the mighty one)

सुभगःSubhaga (proper name / the fortunate one)

भानुदत्तःBhanudatta (proper name; 'given by the sun')

चand

शूराःvaliant

पञ्चfive

महारथाःgreat chariot-warriors

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śakuni

Gavākṣa

Śarabha

Vibhu

Subhaga

Bhānudatta

mahāratha (class of warrior)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war consumes not only principal leaders but also their entire families and allies; kinship loyalty, when tied to unjust aims, can intensify collective participation in violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya enumerates five of Śakuni’s brothers—Gavākṣa, Śarabha, Vibhu, Subhaga, and Bhānudatta—identifying them as mahārathas present in the battle context.