Shloka 38

भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas

Devanagari script

अभिमन्युस्तु राजानमम्बष्ठ॑ं लोकविश्रुतम्‌ । विरथं रथिनां श्रेष्ठ वारयामास सायकै:,अभिमन्युने रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ लोकविख्यात राजा अम्बष्ठको सायकोंद्वारा रथहीन करके आगे बढ़नेसे रोक दिया

Transliteration

abhimanyus tu rājānam ambaṣṭhaṃ lokaviśrutam | virathaṃ rathināṃ śreṣṭhaṃ vārayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Абхиманью остановил натиск царя Амбаштхи, прославленного во всём мире и одного из лучших колесничих-воителей, осыпав его стрелами и лишив боевой колесницы.

Word by Word

• अभिमन्युः: Abhimanyu
• अभिमन्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अम्बष्ठम्: Ambashtha (name of the king)
• अम्बष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लोकविश्रुतम्: renowned in the world
• लोकविश्रुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक-विश्रुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विरथम्: without a chariot (chariotless)
• विरथम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रथिनाम्: of chariot-warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वारयामास: checked/stopped/held back
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Abhimanyu
• Ambaṣṭha
• arrows
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya conduct in war: a capable warrior protects his side by decisively neutralizing threats. Rendering an enemy ‘viratha’ (chariotless) shows tactical restraint and mastery—disabling the opponent’s capacity to fight rather than focusing only on killing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Abhimanyu confronts the renowned king Ambaṣṭha and stops his advance by showering him with arrows, depriving him of his chariot and thereby halting his forward movement in battle.