Mahabharata 9.3.243 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 3, Shloka 243

अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

योधयामास कौन्तेयो भुजवीर्यमुपाश्रित: । युद्धधर्मके पालनकी इच्छा रखनेवाले कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनने स्वयं रथपर बैठकर भूमिपर खड़े हुए पैदल सैनिकोंके साथ युद्ध करना उचित नहीं समझा। वे अपने बाहुबलका भरोसा करके उन सबके साथ पैदल ही जूझने लगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yodhayāmāsa kaunteyo bhujavīryam upāśritaḥ |

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Confiando na força dos próprios braços, o filho de Kuntī prosseguiu lutando. Embora fiel ao dharma da guerra, Bhīmasena julgou impróprio permanecer no carro enquanto enfrentava soldados de infantaria de pé no chão; por isso, confiando em seu vigor corporal, desceu e combateu a pé com eles, conforme ao que considerava justo no campo de batalha.

Word by Word

• योधयामास: made (them) fight / fought (causatively)
• योधयामास: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (योधयति, caus.)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• कौन्तेयः: the son of Kunti (Bhima)
• कौन्तेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भुजवीर्यम्: strength of arms
• भुजवीर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजवीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उपाश्रितः: having relied on / resorting to
• उपाश्रितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आ-श्रि (धातु) → उपाश्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaunteya (Bhīmasena/Bhīma)
• chariot (ratha)
• foot-soldiers (padāti)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights yuddha-dharma (ethical warfare): even amid violence, a warrior should avoid unfair advantage. Bhīma’s choice to fight on foot against foot-soldiers reflects an effort to keep combat proportionate and honorable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīma (Kaunteya), trusting his arm-strength, continues fighting. Seeing infantry on the ground, he does not consider it proper to remain on a chariot against them, and so he engages them on foot.