Shloka 7

दमयन्त्याः व्याकुलता — स्वयंवरसंनिपातः — देवदूतयाचनम्

Damayantī’s Distress, Proclamation of the Svayaṃvara, and the Gods’ Request

Devanagari script

भीमार्जुनौ पुरोधाय यदा तौ रणमूर्थनि । स्थास्येते सिंहविक्रान्तावश्विनाविव दुःसहौ,“जिस समय भीमसेन और अर्जुनको आगे रखकर वे दोनों सिंहके समान पराक्रमी और अश्विनीकुमारोंके समान दुःसह वीर युद्धके मुहानेपर खड़े होंगे, उस समय मुझे अपनी सेनाका कोई वीर शेष रहता नहीं दिखायी देता है। संजय! देवपुत्र महारथी नकुल-सहदेव युद्धमें अनुपम हैं। कोई भी रथी उनका सामना नहीं कर सकता

Transliteration

bhīmārjunau purodhāya yadā tau raṇamūrdhani | sthāsyete siṁhavikrāntāv aśvināv iva duḥsahau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Apabila kedua-duanya—dengan Bhīma dan Arjuna di hadapan—berdiri di kepala medan tempur, melangkah laksana singa dan seteguh yang tidak tertahan seperti kembar Aśvin, maka aku tidak melihat seorang pun pahlawan dalam bala tenteraku akan tinggal berbaki. Wahai Sañjaya, Nakula dan Sahadeva, maharathi kelahiran dewa, tiada bandingan dalam perang; tiada pejuang kereta dapat menahan mereka.

Word by Word

भीमBhima

अर्जुनौthe two (Bhima and) Arjuna / Arjuna (as part of the pair)

पुरोधायhaving placed in front

यदाwhen

तौthose two

रणin battle

मूर्धनिat the head/front (lit. on the head)

स्थास्येतेwill stand

सिंहlike a lion (as standard of comparison)

विक्रान्तौvaliant, powerful in stride

अश्विनौthe Ashvins (twin gods)

इवlike, as

दुःसहौhard to withstand, irresistible

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīma (Bhīmasena)

Arjuna

Aśvin twins (Aśvinau)

Sañjaya

Nakula

Sahadeva

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 passage underscores the classical kṣatriya ideal: decisive leadership in battle and the recognition of extraordinary martial excellence. Ethically, it also conveys the sobering awareness that when the foremost champions take the field, ordinary strength and numbers may prove futile—highlighting the limits of pride and the inevitability of consequences once conflict is fully joined.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a prediction/assessment of battlefield dynamics: if the two warriors (contextually the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva) advance with Bhīma and Arjuna placed at the front, they will be irresistible—likened to lions and the Aśvin twins—so that the opposing army’s fighters would be unable to remain standing against them.