Shloka 77

Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava

Devanagari script

त॑ वाजिपादातरथौघजालै- रनेकसाहस्रशतैर्ददर्श किरीटिनं सम्परिवार्यमाणं शिनेर्नप्ता वारणयूथपैश्वल

Transliteration

tān vājipāda-tarathaugha-jālair aneka-sāhasra-śatair dadarśa kirīṭinaṃ samparivāryamāṇaṃ śiner naptā vāraṇa-yūthapaiś ca

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ແລ້ວລາວໄດ້ເຫັນຫລານຂອງ ກຣິດສະນາ—ອາຣະຈຸນ ຜູ້ສວມມົງກຸດ—ຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມທຸກດ້ານໂດຍຕາຂ່າຍອັນມະຫາສານຂອງກອງມ້າ, ກອງລົດຮົບ, ແລະຫົວໜ້າກອງຊ້າງ ນັບໄດ້ເປັນຮ້ອຍເປັນພັນ. ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າ ໃນພາຍຸທາງຈັນຍາຂອງສົງຄາມ ແມ່ນແຕ່ວິລະຊົນຜູ້ເລີດລ້ຳທີ່ສຸດກໍຖືກທົດສອບໂດຍກໍາລັງອັນທ່ວມທົ່ນ ແລະນ້ຳໜັກຮ່ວມຂອງກອງທັບຝ່າຍຕໍ່ຕ້ານ.

Word by Word

तंhim

वाजि-पादात-रथ-ओघ-जालैःby masses/networks of horses, foot-soldiers and chariots

अनेक-साहस्र-शतैःby many thousands and hundreds (i.e., in countless numbers)

ददर्शsaw

किरीटिनम्the diademed one (Arjuna)

सम्-परिवार्यमाणम्being completely surrounded

शिनेःof Shini

नप्ताgrandson

वारण-यूथपैःby leaders of elephant-herds

चand

वलम्the force/army

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

क

किरीटिन् (Kirīṭin = Arjuna)

श

शिनि (Śini)

व

वाजिपाद (cavalry/horsemen)

र

रथ (chariots)

व

वारण (elephants)

य

यूथप (elephant-leaders)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical pressure of warfare: even a righteous and renowned warrior can be hemmed in by vast opposing forces, testing steadiness, duty (kṣatriya-dharma), and discernment amid chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna (Kirīṭin), described as a descendant of Śini, is seen being surrounded by a massive formation—cavalry, chariots, and elephant-commanders—indicating a tactical encirclement and the intensity of the battle.