Shloka 38

Śalya-parva Adhyāya 26 — Duryodhana’s remnant formation and rapid engagements

Devanagari script

हत्वा शतसहस््राणि पत्तीनां परमेषुभि: । वाजिनां च शतान्यष्टौ पाण्डव: सम विराजते

Transliteration

hatvā śatasahasrāṇi pattīnāṃ parameṣubhiḥ | vājīnāṃ ca śatāny aṣṭau pāṇḍavaḥ samavirājate ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Tendo abatido centenas de milhares de infantes com suas melhores flechas, e igualmente oitocentos cavalos, o Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena) resplandeceu no campo de batalha.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), परस्मैपद-भावार्थ (क्रियाविशेषण)

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पत्तीनाम्: of foot-soldiers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• परम: excellent, supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• इषुभिः: with arrows
• इषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वाजिनाम्: of horses
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

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

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (गणनापद), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (Bhimasena)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सम्: fully, altogether
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

• विराजते: shines, is resplendent
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena)
• infantry (patti)
• horses (vājin)
• arrows (iṣu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox of martial glory: a warrior may ‘shine’ through victory, yet that radiance is built upon immense loss of life. It invites reflection on the ethical gravity of warfare even when performed as kṣatriya-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports Bhīmasena’s battlefield feat: he kills vast numbers of infantry with superb arrows and also destroys eight hundred horses, after which he appears resplendent with victory on the field.