Shloka 4

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

रथानीकं नरव्याप्रा: केचिदभ्यपतन्‌ रथै: । अभज्यन्त युगैरेव युगानि भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

rathānīkaṃ naravyāprāḥ kecid abhyapatan rathaiḥ | abhajyanta yugair eva yugāni bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Beberapa pahlawan, sepenuhnya terarah pada pertempuran, menerjang dengan kereta mereka ke dalam formasi kereta musuh. Wahai yang termulia di antara Bharata, banyak kuk kereta pecah ketika kuk beradu dengan kuk—kerasnya tabrakan di jarak sedekat itu.

Word by Word

• रथानीकम्: the chariot-division (chariot-army)
• रथानीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नरव्याप्राः: tigers among men (heroic men)
• नरव्याप्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + व्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक: केचिद्-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभ्यपतन्: rushed upon / attacked
• अभ्यपतन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• रथैः: with chariots
• रथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अभज्यन्त: were broken
• अभज्यन्त: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: भञ्ज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Ātmanepada (passive sense), 3rd, Plural

• युगैः: by yokes
• युगैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• युगानि: yokes
• युगानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address: bharatarṣabha)
• ratha (chariot)
• rathānīka (chariot-formation)
• yuga (chariot-yoke)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s realism about war: courage and martial intent drive men forward, yet outcomes are also shaped by material force and collision—highlighting the grave cost and uncontrollable momentum of armed conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a surge of warriors charging into the opposing chariot ranks; the fighting is so close that chariot-yokes collide and break, conveying the intensity and congestion of the battlefield.