Shloka 122

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः

Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition

Devanagari script

दिनार्थेन महाबाहु: प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति । ततो महारथैवीरि: समेत्य बहुशो रणे

Transliteration

dinārthena mahābāhuḥ pretarājapuraṃ prati | tato mahārathair vīraiḥ sametya bahuśo raṇe ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «За полдня могучерукий герой отправит множество воинов в город Ямы, владыки ушедших. Затем многие великие колесничие соберутся и будут снова и снова нападать на него в бою».

Word by Word

• दिनार्धेन: within half a day / by half a day
• दिनार्धेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिनार्ध
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेतराजपुरम्: the city of the lord of the departed (Yama’s abode)
• प्रेतराजपुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतराजपुर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• महारथैः: by great chariot-warriors
• महारथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वीरैः: by heroes
• वीरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• समेत्य: having come together / assembling
• समेत्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• बहुशः: many times / repeatedly / in great number
• बहुशः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yama (Pretarāja)
• Pretarājapura (city of Yama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s view of warfare as a realm where valor and destiny converge: even a mighty hero who can rapidly send foes to Yama’s domain will inevitably face concentrated opposition, highlighting the limits of individual power amid collective force and fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a battle situation: a mighty-armed warrior quickly causes many deaths (metaphorically sending them to Yama’s city), after which numerous great chariot-warriors assemble and repeatedly attack him in the fight.