Shloka 39

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 33 — Kuru Cattle-Raid and Matsya Mobilization (भूमिंजय-प्रेरणा)

Devanagari script

समासाद्य सुशर्माणमश्चानस्य व्यपोथयत्‌ । पृष्ठगोपांश्व॒ तस्याथ हत्वा परमसायकै:

Transliteration

samāsādya suśarmāṇam aśvān asya vyapothayat | pṛṣṭhagopāṁś ca tasyātha hatvā paramasāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

ସୁଶର୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ସମୀପେ ଯାଇ ସେ ତାଙ୍କର ଘୋଡ଼ାମାନଙ୍କୁ ନିହତ କଲା; ପରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବାଣରେ ତାଙ୍କ ପଛର ଗୋ-ରକ୍ଷକମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ବଧ କଲା।

Word by Word

• समासाद्य: having approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• सुशर्माणम्: Susharman (name)
• सुशर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुशर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अश्चानस्य: of Ashchana (name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्चान
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• व्यपोथयत्: he struck down / routed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अप-√उथ्/√पुथ् (caus.)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पृष्ठगोपान्: rear-guards / those guarding the back
• पृष्ठगोपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठगोप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• परमसायकैः: with excellent arrows
• परमसायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमसायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
• सुशर्मा (Suśarmā)
• अश्व (horses)
• पृष्ठगोप (rear-guard cattle-protectors)
• परमसायक (supreme arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: in a just battle, one may disable the enemy’s mobility and support forces to protect the vulnerable (here, the cattle and their defenders) and to end aggression decisively.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a warrior closing in on Suśarmā, striking down his horses, and then killing Suśarmā’s rear-guard cattle-protectors with powerful arrows—an escalation that breaks the enemy’s ability to resist and safeguard the seized cattle.