Shloka 273

शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्

Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally

Devanagari script

सहितानभ्यवर्तन्त गुल्ममास्थाय मध्यमम्‌ | रणभूमिमें मद्रराजके सेवकोंको एक साथ धावा करते देख पाण्डवोंने मध्यम गुल्म (सेना)-का आश्रय ले उनका सामना किया

Transliteration

sahitān abhyavartanta gulmam āsthāya madhyamam | raṇabhūmau madrarājakasevakān ekasāthaṃ dhāvataḥ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavā madhyagulmam āśritya tān pratyudyayuḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Увидев на поле брани, как слуги царя Мадры бросились в атаку разом, единым валом, Пандавы укрылись в своём центральном построении (срединном «гулме») и встретили натиск лицом к лицу — удерживая строй с дисциплинированным порядком среди теснины войны.

Word by Word

• सहितान्: together, united (them)
• सहितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभ्यवर्तन्त: they advanced/attacked
• अभ्यवर्तन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• गुल्मम्: battle-formation; troop-array
• गुल्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुल्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having taken refuge in; having occupied
• आस्थाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√स्था
• Form: Absolutive (Tumun/ktvā-anta), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• मध्यमम्: the middle (one)
• मध्यमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• Madrarāja-sevakāḥ (retainers of the king of Madra)
• Raṇabhūmi (battlefield)
• Madhya-gulma (central troop-formation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid violent conflict, effective resistance depends on disciplined order and coordinated response; the Pāṇḍavas do not react chaotically but take position in a defined formation and meet the attack with steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the retainers of the king of Madra charge together; in response, the Pāṇḍavas take shelter in their central troop-formation (madhya-gulma) and confront the oncoming force.