Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतैरतिरथैर्गुप्त: पञ्चभिर्भरतर्षभ: । पाण्डवानामनीकानि विजगाहे महारथ:,इन पाँच अतिरथी वीरोंसे सुरक्षित हो भरत-भूषण महारथी भीष्मजीने पाण्डवोंकी सेनाओंमें प्रवेश किया

Transliteration

etair atirathair guptaḥ pañcabhir bharatarṣabhaḥ | pāṇḍavānām anīkāni vijagāhe mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Под защитой этих пяти первейших колесничих Бхишма — бык среди Бхаратов — двинулся как великий воин на колеснице и вломился в боевые построения Пандавов.

Word by Word

एतैःby these

अतिरथैःby the great chariot-warriors

गुप्तःprotected/guarded

पञ्चभिःby five

भरतर्षभःthe bull among the Bharatas (best of the Bharatas)

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pandavas

अनीकानिarmies/battle-formations

विजगाहेentered/plunged into

महारथःthe great chariot-warrior

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Pāṇḍavas

Bharatas (Kuru lineage)

five atirathas (unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and practical dimension of leadership in war: even the greatest warrior advances effectively when supported and protected by capable allies, pointing to disciplined cooperation and responsibility within kṣatriya-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, shielded by five elite chariot-warriors, breaks into the Pāṇḍava battle-formations, signaling an escalation in the day’s combat and a coordinated Kuru offensive.