Shloka 6

अर्जुनस्य गुरुधर्मविलापः तथा शैनेयकर्णयोर्युद्धारम्भः | Arjuna’s Lament on Guru-Dharma and the Opening of the Sātyaki–Karṇa Duel

Devanagari script

वृषभस्कन्धविक्रान्तो वृषभाक्षो नरर्षभ: । तावकानां बभौ मध्ये गवां मध्ये यथा वृष:

Transliteration

vṛṣabhaskandhavikrānto vṛṣabhākṣo nararṣabhaḥ | tāvakānāṃ babhau madhye gavāṃ madhye yathā vṛṣaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: With the power of a bull’s shoulders, bull-eyed, the best of men, he shone in the midst of your warriors—like a bull standing among a herd of cows. The image underscores his commanding presence and martial dominance amid the Kaurava ranks.

Word by Word

• वृषभस्कन्धविक्रान्तः: he whose prowess is like a bull-shouldered one / having bull-like shoulders and stride
• वृषभस्कन्धविक्रान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषभ-स्कन्ध-विक्रान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृषभाक्षः: bull-eyed (having eyes like a bull)
• वृषभाक्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषभ-अक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरर्षभः: bull among men; best of men
• नरर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तावकानाम्: of your (Kaurava) men
• तावकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• बभौ: shone; appeared splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (भाति)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य
• Form: true

• गवाम्: of cows; of cattle
• गवाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य
• Form: true

• यथा: as; like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: true

• वृषः: a bull
• वृषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• tāvakāḥ (the Kaurava forces)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary prowess stands out unmistakably in a crowd: true strength and leadership become visible through presence and action, especially in the moral pressure-cooker of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a foremost warrior on the Kaurava side appearing conspicuously powerful among the troops, using the simile of a bull among cows to convey dominance and battlefield confidence.