Shloka 293

Devanagari script

अपोवाह रणाद्‌ वीरं सोमदत्तं महारथम्‌ | तब महारथी वीर सोमदत्तको मूर्छित हुआ देख सारथि बड़ी उतावलीके साथ उन्हें रणभूमिसे दूर हटा ले गया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | apovāha raṇād vīraṃ somadattaṃ mahāratham |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing the heroic great chariot-warrior Somadatta fallen unconscious, his charioteer, in urgent haste, carried him away from the battlefield—an act that preserves a warrior’s life and strength for the sake of duty, even amid the relentless ethics of war.

Word by Word

• अपोवाह: carried away, removed
• अपोवाह: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + वह्
• Form: Luṅ (Aorist), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रणात्: from the battle
• रणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• वीरम्: the hero
• वीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सोमदत्तम्: Somadatta
• सोमदत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमदत्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महारथम्: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

सयजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Somadatta
• charioteer (sārathi)
• battlefield (raṇa/raṇabhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, duty includes prudent protection: when a warrior is incapacitated, withdrawing him is a responsible act that preserves life and future capacity to fulfill dharma, rather than pursuing reckless display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Somadatta, a great chariot-warrior, has become unconscious; his charioteer quickly removes him from the battlefield to safety.