Shloka 12

इन्द्रजिद्-लक्ष्मणयुद्धम्

Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa: Escalation through Concealment

Devanagari script

ततस्त्रिगर्त: सधनुरवतीर्य महारथात्‌ । गदया चतुरो वाहान्‌ राज्ञस्तस्य तदावधीत्‌,तदनन्तर धनुष हाथमें लिये त्रिगर्तराजने अपने विशाल रथसे उतरकर राजा युधिष्ठिरके चारों घोड़ोंको गदासे मार डाला

Transliteration

tatas trigartaḥ sadhanur avatīrya mahārathāt | gadayā caturo vāhān rājñas tasya tadā avadhīt |

Translation

ఆ తరువాత త్రిగర్త రాజు ధనుస్సుతో మహారథం నుండి దిగివచ్చి, గదతో ఆ రాజు (యుధిష్ఠిరుడు) యొక్క నాలుగు గుర్రాలను అక్కడికక్కడే చంపివేశాడు.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

त्रिगर्तःTrigarta (king/warrior of Trigarta)

सधनुःwith a bow (in hand)

अवतीर्यhaving descended

महारथात्from the great chariot

गदयाwith a mace

चतुरःfour

वाहान्horses (draught-animals)

राज्ञःof the king

तस्यof him/that (king)

तदाthen, at that time

अवधीत्killed, slew

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Trigarta (king)

Yudhiṣṭhira

mahāratha (great chariot)

dhanuḥ (bow)

gadā (mace)

vāhāḥ (four horses)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the grim pragmatics of kṣatriya warfare: victory often turns on disabling an enemy’s means of movement and protection. It implicitly raises ethical tension—martial duty permits harsh tactics, yet such acts intensify the suffering and moral weight carried by combatants.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Trigarta king gets down from his chariot with bow in hand and uses a mace to kill the four horses of King Yudhiṣṭhira’s chariot, effectively immobilizing him in the battle.