Shloka 11

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety and Bhīṣma’s Theological Explanation of Pāṇḍava Invincibility

Book 6, Chapter 61

Devanagari script

हयारोहैर्हयारोहा: पात्यन्ते सम महाहवे । ऋष्टिभिरविमलाभि श्ष प्रासैरपि च संयुगे,उस महासमरमें घुड़सवार घुड़सवारोंको चमकीली ऋषष्टियों और प्रासोंद्वारा मार गिराते थे

Transliteration

hayārohair hayārohāḥ pātyante sma mahāhave | ṛṣṭibhir vimalābhiś ca prāsair api ca saṃyuge ||

Translation

ఆ మహాసమరంలో అశ్వారోహులు అశ్వారోహులనే నిర్మలంగా మెరుస్తున్న ఋష్టులు, ప్రాసాలతో యుద్ధరంగంలో కూలదోసేవారు.

Word by Word

हयारोहैःby horsemen

हयारोहाःhorsemen

पात्यन्तेare felled / fall down

समेin the level (field)

महाहवेin the great battle

ऋष्टिभिःwith spears/lances

विमलाभिःbright, spotless

प्रासैःwith javelins

अपिalso

चand

संयुगेin the combat

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

horsemen (cavalry)

Ṛ

ṛṣṭi (spears/lances)

prāsa (javelins/throwing spears)

mahāhava/saṃyuga (the great battle)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse offers a stark observation of warfare: in the chaos of battle, combatants of the same class (horsemen) destroy one another with comparable means. It highlights the impersonal, reciprocal nature of violence in war rather than presenting a direct moral injunction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a moment in the Kurukṣetra war where cavalry units clash. Horsemen are felling other horsemen using spears and javelins amid a major engagement.