Shloka 38

शैनेयचरितम्

The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement

Devanagari script

शैब्यो गोवासनो राजा योधैर्दशशतावरै: । काश्यस्याभि भुव: पुत्र पराक्रान्तमवारयत्‌,शिबिदेशीय राजा गोवासनने कम-से-कम एक सहस्र योद्धा साथ लेकर काशिराज अभिभूके पराक्रमी पुत्रका सामना किया

Transliteration

saibyo govāsano rājā yodhair daśaśatāvaraiḥ | kāśyasyābhibhuvaḥ putraḥ parākrāntam avārayat ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਸ਼ਿਬੀ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਰਾਜਾ ਗੋਵਾਸਨ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਯੋਧਿਆਂ ਸਮੇਤ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਦੇ ਅਭਿਭੂ ਦੇ ਪਰਾਕ੍ਰਮੀ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਸਦੀ ਚਾਲ ਰੋਕਣ ਲੱਗਾ।

Word by Word

शैब्यःŚaibya (a king of the Śibi country)

गोवासनोGovāsana (name/epithet of the king)

राजाking

योधैःwith warriors

दशशतावरैःnumbering a thousand (ten hundreds)

काश्यस्यof the king of Kāśi

अभिभूःAbhibhū (proper name)

पुत्रम्son

पराक्रान्तम्valiant, mighty

अवारयत्checked, opposed, stopped

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Govāsana

Śibi (Śibi-deśa)

Abhibhū

Kāśī (Kāśya)

warriors (yodhas)

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 underscores kṣatriya-dharma in practice: in war, leaders must protect their side by confronting powerful opponents. Ethical emphasis lies in steadfastness, organized defense, and fulfilling one’s role without retreat when duty demands resistance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a battlefield encounter: Govāsana, the Śibi king, arrives with a large force and halts the advance of the courageous son of Abhibhū from Kāśī, preventing him from pushing forward in the fight.