Shloka 39

Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)

Devanagari script

व्यवच्छिद्य तु राजानं भगदत्तं युधिष्ठिर:

Transliteration

vyavacchidya tu rājānaṃ bhagadattaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

Translation

व्यवच्छिद्य तु राजानं भगदत्तं युधिष्ठिरः । तं निग्रहीतुं प्रचक्राम नीत्या युद्धे महाबलम् ॥

Word by Word

• व्यवच्छिद्य: having cut off / having separated
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यव-छिद्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि, —, —, —

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

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

• भगदत्तम्: Bhagadatta
• भगदत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगदत्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• King Bhagadatta

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in violent conflict, righteous leadership expresses itself through restraint and clarity of purpose: isolating a dangerous opponent is a measured strategy that limits wider harm and prevents chaos, aligning martial action with responsible kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira acts against King Bhagadatta by separating him from his support—suggesting a tactical move on the battlefield to neutralize Bhagadatta’s threat and control the flow of combat.