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

Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: Kung hindi gayon, hindi sana dumulas sa kanyang pagkakahawak ang kanyang busog, ni hindi sana ito nabasag—ipinahihiwatig na ang pambihirang bigat ng labanan at ang pagpipilit ng tadhana ang kumikilos, hindi ang kahinaan o kakulangan ng loob.

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.