Mahabharata 7.116.70 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 116, Shloka 70

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

Devanagari script

त॑ं तथा कोष्ठकीकृत्य रथवंशेन मारिष । विव्यधु: सायकै्ईश्टा रक्षार्थ मारुतेर्मुधे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

taṃ tathā koṣṭhakīkṛtya rathavaṃśena māriṣa |

vivyadhuḥ sāyakaiḥ iṣṭā rakṣārthaṃ māruter mudhe ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: “Ó venerável, os guerreiros Pāṇḍava, desejosos de proteger Bhīmasena, filho do deus do Vento, cercaram-no com uma barreira de carruagens como se o confinassem numa câmara; e, no auge da batalha, traspassaram-no com suas flechas escolhidas.”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कोष्ठकीकृत्य: having enclosed/hemmed in (as if in a pen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कोष्ठकीकृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• रथवंशेन: by the line/array of chariots
• रथवंशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथवंश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मारिष: O noble one / O sir
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारिष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विव्यधुः: they pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ईष्टाः: chosen/selected (men), dear (ones)
• ईष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रक्षा-अर्थ

• मारुतेः: of the son of Marut (Bhima)
• मारुतेः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मुधे: in battle
• मुधे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुध्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Māruti, son of the Wind-god)
• Pāṇḍava warriors
• Kṛtavarman
• chariots (ratha)
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of protecting one’s foremost warrior and ally through coordinated action. It frames battlefield violence as instrumentally directed toward safeguarding one’s side, emphasizing collective responsibility and tactical restraint (targeting the threat to protect Bhima).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Drona Parva battle, the Pandava fighters form a chariot-barrier to box in the opposing warrior (identified in the Gita Press gloss as Kṛtavarman). With him constrained, they shoot him with well-aimed arrows to ensure Bhimasena’s safety.