Shloka 18

Bhagadatta’s Astra and the Fall of the Prāgjyotiṣa King (भगदत्त-वधः / वैष्णवास्त्र-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

ततो दशसहस्राणि न्यवर्तन्त धनुष्मताम्‌ | मतिं कृत्वा रणे क्रूरां वीरा जयपराजये,तदनन्तर दस हजार धनुर्धर वीर जय अथवा पराजयके हेतुभूत युद्धका क्रूरतापूर्ण निश्चय करके लौट आये

Transliteration

tato daśasahasrāṇi nyavartanta dhanuṣmatām | matiṁ kṛtvā raṇe krūrāṁ vīrā jayaparājaye ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors dix mille archers se retirèrent. Ayant durci leur esprit dans la résolution farouche du champ de bataille—tendus vers la victoire ou la défaite—ils firent demi-tour, prêts à tout risquer selon la logique brutale de la guerre.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• दश: ten
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश
• Form: Gender: (indeclinable numeral); Case: —; Number: —

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Gender: Neuter; Case: Nominative; Number: Plural

• न्यवर्तन्त: returned, turned back
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √वृत्
• Form: Tense: Imperfect (Laṅ); Person: 3rd; Number: Plural

• धनुष्मताम्: of the bowmen, of those possessing bows
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्मत्
• Form: Gender: Masculine; Case: Genitive; Number: Plural

• मतिम्: resolve, intention
• मतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Gender: Feminine; Case: Accusative; Number: Singular

• कृत्वा: having made, having formed
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय); Voice: —; (indeclinable verbal form)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Gender: Masculine/Neuter; Case: Locative; Number: Singular

• क्रूराम्: cruel, fierce
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर
• Form: Gender: Feminine; Case: Accusative; Number: Singular

• वीराः: heroes, warriors
• वीराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Gender: Masculine; Case: Nominative; Number: Plural

• जय: in victory
• जय: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: Gender: Masculine; Case: Locative (as first member in locative-dvandva); Number: Singular

• पराजये: in defeat
• पराजये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराजय
• Form: Gender: Masculine; Case: Locative; Number: Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• ten thousand bowmen (dhanuṣmantaḥ vīrāḥ)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the psychological and ethical tension of war: warriors deliberately harden their minds to act amid cruelty, accepting that outcomes are binary—victory or defeat—while still choosing to commit themselves to the battle’s demands.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a troop movement: ten thousand archers withdraw/turn back after forming a fierce resolve for combat, indicating regrouping or repositioning with renewed determination to fight for either victory or an honorable defeat.