Shloka 24

Devanagari script

साग्रं शतसहस्र॑ तु हयानां तस्य धीमत: । सोमदत्तं महेष्वासं समन्तात्‌ पर्यरक्षत,बुद्धिमान शकुनिके एक लाखसे अधिक घुड़सवार महाधनुर्धर सोमदत्तकी सब ओरसे रक्षा करने लगे

Transliteration

sāgraṁ śata-sahasraṁ tu hayānāṁ tasya dhīmataḥ | somadattaṁ maheṣvāsaṁ samantāt paryarakṣata | buddhimān śakunike eka-lākha-se adhika ghuṛasavāra mahā-dhanurdhara somadatta-kī saba orase rakṣā karane lage |

Translation

Sañjaya said: More than a hundred thousand horsemen, acting under the direction of that wise commander, formed a protective ring on every side around Somadatta, the great archer. In the moral atmosphere of the war, this line underscores how strategy and loyalty—however aligned—are employed to preserve a key warrior amid the chaos of battle.

Word by Word

साग्रम्with an excess; more than (by a margin)

शतसहस्रम्a hundred thousand

तुindeed; but

हयानाम्of horses

तस्यof him; his

धीमतःof the intelligent one

सोमदत्तम्Somadatta

महेष्वासम्the great archer

समन्तात्on all sides; from every direction

पर्यरक्षतthey protected; they guarded

Speaker

सयजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Somadatta

Śakuni

horsemen (cavalry)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a destructive conflict, the epic highlights the power of organized duty and loyalty: warriors coordinate to protect a valued fighter, showing how intelligence and collective discipline shape outcomes—though such virtues can serve either righteous or unrighteous causes depending on alignment with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a cavalry force numbering over one hundred thousand forms a surrounding guard to shield Somadatta, the renowned archer, indicating a deliberate tactical effort to preserve him amid the fighting.