Mahabharata 7.116.59 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 116, Shloka 59

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

यथोद्वृत्तं वारयते वेला वै सलिलार्णवम्‌ | पाण्डुसैन्यं तथा संख्ये हार्दिक्य: समवारयत्‌

Transliteration

yathodvṛttaṃ vārayate velā vai salilārṇavam | pāṇḍusainyaṃ tathā saṅkhye hārdikyaḥ samavārayat ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Assim como a linha da costa contém as águas do oceano quando elas se avolumam e se enfurecem, do mesmo modo, na batalha, Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman) conteve o avanço do exército Pāṇḍava.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उद्वृत्तम्: swollen, surged up
• उद्वृत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्वृत्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वारयते: restrains, holds back
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• वेला: shore, boundary (coastline)
• वेला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेला
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सलिलार्णवम्: the ocean (watery sea)
• सलिलार्णवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिलार्णव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डुसैन्यम्: the Pandava army
• पाण्डुसैन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: so, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• हार्दिक्यः: Hardikya (Kritavarman)
• हार्दिक्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार्दिक्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समवारयत्: held back, restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Past), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛtavarman (Hārdikya)
• Pāṇḍava army
• ocean (arṇava)
• shoreline/coast (velā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfast restraint: like a boundary that contains a powerful surge, disciplined courage and tactical firmness can check overwhelming momentum. In the ethical atmosphere of the Mahābhārata’s war, it also suggests that force is not only met by greater force, but by steadiness, position, and resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that in the thick of battle Kṛtavarman (called Hārdikya) successfully halted the Pāṇḍava forces, comparing his defensive stand to the seashore holding back the swelling ocean.