Shloka 216

कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा

Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying

Devanagari script

भीमसेनरथं प्राप्पय समसज्जन्त वेगिता: । महाराज! मद्रराजके हाँके हुए वे घोड़े बड़े वेगसे भीमसेनके रथके पास जाकर उनसे सट गये

Transliteration

bhīmasenarathaṃ prāpya samasajjanta vegitāḥ | mahārāja! madrarājakaiḥ hāṅke huye te ghoḍāḥ baḍe vegena bhīmasenasya rathasya pāsa jākar unse saṭ gaye |

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, urged on by the ruler of Madra, the horses, driven at great speed, reached Bhīmasena’s chariot and pressed close against it. The scene shows the relentless momentum of battle, where skillful driving and sheer force are used to close distance and compel direct engagement.

Word by Word

भीमसेनरथम्Bhimasena's chariot

प्राप्यhaving reached

सम्together/close (as preverb)

असज्जन्तthey clung/pressed close

वेगिताःswift/impetuous

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Bhīmasena

Madrarāja (Śalya)

horses

chariot

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?

In the ethics of epic warfare, mastery of the chariot—control of horses, speed, and positioning—can decide encounters as much as personal valor. The verse highlights how deliberate, forceful approach is used to compel close combat, underscoring the responsibility and skill of the charioteer in shaping outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the horses, driven on by the king of Madra (Śalya), surge forward and bring the chariot into tight proximity with Bhīmasena’s chariot, setting up immediate, close-range engagement.