Shloka 41

Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)

Devanagari script

भगदत्तस्तु राजानं द्रुप्दं नतपर्वभि: । सनियन्तृध्वजरथं विव्याध पुरुषर्षभ:

Transliteration

bhagadattas tu rājānaṃ drupadaṃ nataparvabhiḥ | sa-niyantṛ-dhvaja-rathaṃ vivyādha puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: ຕໍ່ມາ ພະກະດັດຕະ—ຜູ້ເປັນດັ່ງພະຍາງົວໃນຫມູ່ບຸລຸດ—ໄດ້ຍິງກະສັດດຣຸປະດະດ້ວຍລູກສອນທີ່ຂໍ້ຕໍ່ງໍລົງ; ແລະຍັງທະລຸຮົດສົງຄາມຂອງພຣະອົງອີກ—ທັງສາລະຖີແລະທຸງ—ເຮັດໃຫ້ກະສັດຕົກຢູ່ໃນຄວາມກົດດັນອັນຮຸນແຮງໃນກາງສົງຄາມ.

Word by Word

भगदत्तःBhagadatta

तुbut/indeed

राजानम्the king

द्रुपदम्Drupada

नतपर्वभिःwith (arrows) having bent joints/knots

सनियन्तृध्वजरथम्whose chariot had (its) driver and banner (intact/present)

विव्याधpierced/wounded

पुरुषर्षभःthe bull among men (best of men)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhagadatta

Drupada

chariot (ratha)

banner/standard (dhvaja)

charioteer/driver (niyantṛ)

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 relentless force of kṣatriya warfare: prowess is shown not only by striking the opponent but by disabling the chariot system (driver and banner), emphasizing how martial skill can rapidly shift a battle’s balance and intensify the ethical weight of combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhagadatta assaults King Drupada, shooting him with distinctive bent-jointed arrows and also piercing Drupada’s chariot—its charioteer and banner—signaling a severe tactical blow against Drupada in the ongoing battle.