Shloka 83

उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents

Devanagari script

पड्चाशदपि ये शूरा मृद्गन्ति महतीं चमूम्‌ । अपि वा पज्च षट्‌ सप्त विजयन्त्यनिवर्तिन:

Transliteration

pañcāśad api ye śūrā mṛdnanti mahatīṃ camūm | api vā pañca ṣaṭ sapta vijayanti anivartinaḥ ||

Translation

ວະຍາສະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ແມ່ນແຕ່ນັກຮົບຜູ້ກ້າຫານຫ້າສິບຄົນ ກໍສາມາດບົດຂີ້ຝຸ່ນກອງທັບໃຫຍ່ໄດ້. ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຫ້າ ຫົກ ຫຼື ເຈັດ ຄົນ—ຖ້າບໍ່ຖອນຫຼັງ—ກໍຊະນະໄດ້ຢ່າງແນ່ນອນ»។

Word by Word

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• पञ्चाशत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शूराः: heroes/warriors
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मृद्गन्ति: crush/beat down
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद् (मृद्नाति/मृद्गति)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• महतीम्: great/large
• महतीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• चमूम्: army
• चमूम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमू
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: Indeclinable (numeral), Nominative, Plural (sense)

• षट्: six
• षट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्
• Form: Indeclinable (numeral), Nominative, Plural (sense)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त
• Form: Indeclinable (numeral), Nominative, Plural (sense)

• विजयन्ति: conquer/are victorious
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अनिवर्तिनः: not turning back/unyielding
• अनिवर्तिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवर्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• warriors (śūrāḥ)
• army (camū)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Numerical strength is secondary to steadfast resolve: a small group of unwavering, courageous fighters can overcome a much larger force. In the broader ethical frame, this observation sits alongside the recognition that war’s greatest fault is the destruction of life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is describing a principle of battlefield dynamics during the war-context of Bhīṣma Parva: disciplined, unretreating warriors can secure victory even when greatly outnumbered.