Shloka 5

उत्तरो बृहन्नडां सारथ्याय नियुङ्क्ते — Uttara Appoints Bṛhannadā as Charioteer

Devanagari script

षष्टिं गवां सहस्राणि कुरव: कालयन्ति च । महता रथवंशेन परिवार्य समन्तत:,वे कौरव वीर राजा विराटकी साठ हजार गौओंको विशाल रथसमूहोंद्वारा चारों ओरसे घेरकर हाँक ले चले

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṁ gavāṁ sahasrāṇi kuravaḥ kālayanti ca | mahatā rathavaṁśena parivārya samantataḥ ||

Translation

కౌరవ వీరులు రాజు విరాటుని అరవై వేల గోవులను మహత్తర రథసమూహాలతో అన్ని వైపులా చుట్టుముట్టి తోలుకొని వెళ్లారు।

Word by Word

षष्टिम्sixty

गवाम्of cows

सहस्राणिthousands

कुरवःthe Kurus

कालयन्तिdrive (along), herd

चand

महताwith a great

रथवंशेनwith a line/array of chariots

परिवार्यhaving surrounded

समन्ततःon all sides

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kuravaḥ (Kauravas)

cattle (gavām)

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 highlights adharma in the form of coercive seizure of another’s wealth (cattle), implying that power and military might do not justify wrongdoing; such acts invite rightful resistance and moral scrutiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Kurus (Kauravas) are herding away sixty thousand cattle, having encircled them with a large chariot force, indicating an organized raid that escalates the conflict involving King Virāṭa’s realm.