Shloka 18

अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal

Devanagari script

ततस्ते मां महीपाला: सर्व एव विशाम्पते । रथव्रातेन महता सर्वत: पर्यवारयन्‌,प्रजानाथ! तदनन्तर उन सब नरेशोंने विशाल रथ-समूहद्वारा मुझे सब ओरसे घेर लिया

Transliteration

tataste māṁ mahīpālāḥ sarva eva viśāmpate | rathavrātena mahatā sarvataḥ paryavārayan |

Translation

Wahai tuan rakyat! Kemudian semua raja itu mengepungku dari setiap arah dengan himpunan kereta perang yang besar—sebuah kepungan tersusun di medan laga, menguji keteguhan dan dharma seorang pahlawan di bawah tekanan kekuatan yang mengatasi.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: accusative, singular

• महीपालाः: kings, rulers of the earth
• महीपालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• रथव्रातेन: by a multitude/group of chariots
• रथव्रातेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथव्रात
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• महता: great, huge
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides, from every direction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• पर्यवारयन्: surrounded, encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √वृ (वरणे/आवरणे)
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, plural, parasmaipada

• प्रजानाथ: O lord of subjects/people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजानाथ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• kings (mahīpālāḥ)
• chariot host (rathavrāta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the pressure of collective force against an individual warrior and implicitly points to kṣatriya-dharma: steadfastness and disciplined action even when outnumbered, without abandoning one’s duty under fear or intimidation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that a group of kings formed a large chariot formation and encircled him from all directions, indicating a tactical attempt to contain and overwhelm him in battle.