Shloka 14

Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation

Devanagari script

मद्रसौवीरगान्धारैस्त्रैगर्तै क्ष विशाम्पते । सर्वकालिज्रमुख्यैश्व कलिड्राधिपतिर्वृत:

Transliteration

madra-sauvīra-gāndhāraistrai-gartaiś ca viśāṃ pate | sarva-kāliṅgra-mukhyaiś ca kaliṅgādhipatir vṛtaḥ prajānātha |

Translation

மக்களுக்குத் தலைவனே! கலிங்க நாட்டின் முதன்மை வீரர்கள் அனைவராலும் சூழப்பட்ட கலிங்க அரசனும் போருக்கு முன்னேறினான்; அவனுடன் மத்ர, சௌவீர, காந்தார, திரிகர்த்த வீரர்களும் இருந்தனர்.

Word by Word

• मद्र: Madra (people/warriors of Madra)
• मद्र: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as member in compound), Plural (as member in compound)

• सौवीर: Sauvīra (people/warriors of Sauvīra)
• सौवीर: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौवीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as member in compound), Plural (as member in compound)

• गान्धारैः: by/with the Gāndhāras
• गान्धारैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रैगर्तैः: by/with the Trigartas
• त्रैगर्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैगर्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पते: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (as member in compound), Plural (as member in compound)

• कालिङ्ग: Kaliṅga (of Kaliṅga)
• कालिङ्ग: Karana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: कालिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (as member in compound), Plural (as member in compound)

• ज्र: unclear/possibly corrupt reading
• ज्र: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (as member in compound), Plural (as member in compound)

• मुख्यैः: by/with the chiefs, foremost ones
• मुख्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective (substantive)
• Root: मुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कलिङ्ग: of Kaliṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (as member in compound), Singular

• अधिपतिः: the king/lord
• अधिपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृतः: surrounded/encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वरणे)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजानाथ: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + नाथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaliṅga (king of Kaliṅga)
• Kaliṅga
• Madra
• Sauvīra
• Gāndhāra
• Trigarta
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by addresses viśāṃ pate, prajānātha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the collective nature of war: entire peoples and allied kingdoms move as units under their rulers. Ethically, it points to how political allegiance and kṣatriya expectations can propel participation in violence, raising the tension between duty to one’s side and broader moral discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the king of Kaliṅga advances to fight, surrounded by leading Kaliṅga warriors, and accompanied by fighters from Madra, Sauvīra, Gāndhāra, and Trigarta—signaling the mustering of allied forces on the battlefield.