Shloka 10

Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication

Devanagari script

ततो रथसहस्रेण हयानामयुतेन च । कोष्ठकीकृत्य बीभत्सुं प्रहषष्टमनमसो 5 भवन्‌,एक हजार रथ और दस हजार घोड़ोंसे अर्जुनको घेरकर उन्हें कोष्ठबद्ध-सा करके वे मन-ही-मन बड़े प्रसन्न हो रहे थे

Transliteration

tato rathasahasreṇa hayānām ayutena ca | koṣṭhakīkṛtya bībhatsuṁ prahṛṣṭamanaso bhavan |

Translation

ຕໍ່ມາ ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ໃຊ້ລົດຮົບໜຶ່ງພັນ ແລະ ມ້າໜຶ່ງໝື່ນ ລ້ອມອາຣຊຸນ (ບີພັດສຸ) ໄວ້ ຈົນເຫມືອນຖືກຂັງໃນຄອກ; ແລະພວກເຂົາກໍຊື່ນບານໃນໃຈ ທີ່ໄດ້ບີບຄັ້ນພຣະອົງໄວ້ແບບນັ້ນ.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

रथसहस्रेणwith a thousand chariots

हयानाम्of horses

अयुतेनwith ten thousand

चand

कोष्ठकीकृत्यhaving enclosed / having penned in

बीभत्सुम्Arjuna (the Terrible one)

प्रहृष्टमनसःwhose minds were delighted; very glad at heart

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna (Bībhatsu)

chariots (ratha)

horses (haya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how numerical strength and tactical encirclement can breed premature confidence. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such inward exultation (prahṛṣṭa-manasaḥ) often signals pride and misjudgment, reminding readers that dharma and true prowess are not measured merely by overwhelming force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes opponents surrounding Arjuna with a thousand chariots and ten thousand horses, effectively penning him in like within a stockade (koṣṭhakīkṛtya). They feel secretly pleased, believing they have successfully trapped him.