Shloka 52

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

रथभडज़ो न चेत्‌ तस्य धरनुर्वा न व्यशीर्यत

Transliteration

rathabhaḍazo na cet tasya dharanurvā na vyaśīryata

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—หากมิใช่เช่นนั้น คันธนูของเขาย่อมไม่หลุดจากมือ และย่อมไม่แตกหักเป็นแน่

Word by Word

• रथभटः: the charioteer (lit. chariot-soldier)
• रथभटः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथभट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• व्यशीर्यत्: was shattered / broke apart
• Type: Verb
• Root: शीॄ (शीर्ण/शीर्यते)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• bow
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse suggests that visible failure in battle (a weapon slipping or breaking) need not indicate moral or personal deficiency; it can reflect overwhelming circumstances and the workings of fate/karma within the larger dharmic drama.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator comments on a critical moment in combat: a warrior’s bow slips and/or breaks. The remark frames this as an exceptional event caused by intense battle conditions and destiny, heightening the gravity of the encounter.