Shloka 53

Devanagari script

रथा: पञ्चशताश्षान्ये ह्रादिनश्चर्मवर्मिण: । भीममभ्यद्रवन्‌ घ्नन्त: शरपूगै: समन्तत:

Transliteration

rathāḥ pañcaśatāś cānye hrādinaś carmavarmiṇaḥ | bhīmam abhyadravan ghnantaḥ śarapūgaiḥ samantataḥ ||

Translation

रथाः पञ्चशताः चान्ये ह्रादिनश्चर्मवर्मिणः । भीममभ्यद्रवन् घ्नन्तः शरपूगैः समन्ततः ॥

Word by Word

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चशताः: five hundred (in number)
• पञ्चशताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चशत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ह्रादिनः: resounding/roaring
• ह्रादिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ह्रादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• चर्मवर्मिणः: wearing leather armor
• चर्मवर्मिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर्मवर्मिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भीमम्: Bhima
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यद्रवन्: ran towards/charged at
• अभ्यद्रवन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• घ्नन्तः: striking/killing (while doing so)
• घ्नन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Śatṛ (present active participle)

• शरपूगैः: with volleys/masses of arrows
• शरपूगैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरपूग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततस्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• chariots (rathāḥ)
• arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical terrain of battlefield dharma: collective force is marshalled to check a single powerful warrior, showing how courage and steadfastness are tested amid overwhelming opposition, and how war often prioritizes victory over fairness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a large contingent—five hundred chariot-warriors—charges Bhīma and assails him from all directions with concentrated arrow volleys, attempting to surround and suppress him.