Shloka 3

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 165 — Bhīṣma’s Appraisal and Karṇa’s Rebuttal (भीष्म–कर्ण विवादः)

Devanagari script

एतस्य रथवंशे हि तिग्मवेगप्रहारिण: । काम्बोजानां महाराज शलभानामिवायति:

Transliteration

etasya rathavaṁśe hi tigmavegaprahāriṇaḥ | kāmbojānāṁ mahārāja śalabhānām ivāyatiḥ ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่มหาราช ในสายสกุลนักรบรถศึกของผู้นี้มีพลังโจมตีอันคมกริบและรวดเร็วอย่างยิ่ง การบุกของชาวกัมโพชะถาโถมใส่ศัตรูดุจฝูงตั๊กแตน—ฉับพลัน หนาแน่น และยากจะต้านทาน”

Word by Word

• एतस्य: of this (man)
• एतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• रथवंशे: in the line/lineage of charioteers
• रथवंशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथवंश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तिग्मवेगप्रहारिणः: of the striker/assailant with sharp speed
• तिग्मवेगप्रहारिणः: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिग्मवेगप्रहारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• काम्बोजानाम्: of the Kambojas
• काम्बोजानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्बोज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शलभानाम्: of locusts
• शलभानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शलभ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आयतिः: approach/coming onrush
• आयतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in this context)
• Kāmbojas
• Ratha-vaṁśa (chariot-lineage)
• Śalabha (locusts)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how inherited martial discipline and collective force can make an army’s advance irresistible; it cautions rulers to recognize the real momentum of trained warrior-groups and not underestimate a swift, coordinated assault.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing the fighting quality and terrifying advance associated with a particular warrior’s chariot-lineage, comparing the Kāmbojas’ onrush to a locust-swarm—an image meant to convey speed, density, and overwhelming impact in battle.