Shloka 38

जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha

Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition

Devanagari script

ते पिबन्त इवाकाशं युयुधानं हयोत्तमा:

Transliteration

te pibanta ivākāśaṃ yuyudhānaṃ hayottamāḥ

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ມ້າຊັ້ນຍອດທັງຫຼາຍ ດັ່ງກຳລັງດື່ມເອົາຟ້າ ໄດ້ພາຢຸຍຸທານະພຸ້ນໄປຂ້າງໜ້າ—ໄວແລະແຮງຈົນເຫັນຄືກັບກືນກິນຊ່ອງວ່າງທີ່ຢູ່ຂ້າງໜ້າຕົນ।

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पिबन्ति: drink
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पिबति)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• इव: as if / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आकाशम्: the sky
• आकाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• युयुधानम्: Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)
• युयुधानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युयुधान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हयोत्तमाः: excellent horses / best of horses
• हयोत्तमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)
• horses (steeds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a vivid simile—horses 'drinking the sky'—to convey overwhelming speed and force. Ethically, it hints at how power and momentum in war can seem to consume all space for deliberation, reminding readers that even dazzling prowess must be weighed against dharma and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Yuyudhāna’s advance in battle: he is carried by superb horses moving so swiftly that it appears they are swallowing the open sky ahead of them.