Shloka 12

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्

The Tumult of Battle Described

Devanagari script

पोथयन्‌ रथवृन्दानि वाजिवृन्दानि चाभिभू: । कर्षयन्‌ रथवृन्दानि बाहुवेगेन पाण्डव:

Transliteration

pothayan rathavṛndāni vājivṛndāni cābhibhūḥ | karṣayan rathavṛndāni bāhuvegena pāṇḍavaḥ ||

Translation

پانڈو کے بیٹے نے رتھوں کے جھنڈ اور گھوڑوں کے ہجوم کو مغلوب کر کے پاش پاش کر دیا؛ اور اپنے بازوؤں کے زور سے رتھوں کی صفوں کو کھینچ کر منتشر کر دیا۔

Word by Word

• पोथयन्: striking, battering
• पोथयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पोथय् (पोथ्)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्तरि, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्तवत् (पोथयन् = पोथयन्/पोथयन्-)

• रथवृन्दानि: groups of chariots
• रथवृन्दानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथवृन्द (रथ + वृन्द)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वाजिवृन्दानि: groups of horses
• वाजिवृन्दानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिवृन्द (वाजि + वृन्द)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभिभूः: overpowered, overcame
• अभिभूः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भू
• Form: लुङ् (अोरिस्ट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्तरि

• कर्षयन्: dragging, drawing
• कर्षयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष्
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्तरि, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्तवत् (कर्षयन् = कर्षयन्/कर्षयन्-)

• रथवृन्दानि: groups of chariots
• रथवृन्दानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथवृन्द (रथ + वृन्द)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• बाहुवेगेन: by the force of (his) arms
• बाहुवेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुवेग (बाहु + वेग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• पाण्डव (Pāṇḍava)
• रथवृन्द (companies of chariots)
• वाजिवृन्द (companies of horses)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic: decisive action, courage, and strength used to protect one’s side and fulfill duty. It also implies that in war, formations and numbers can be broken by concentrated valor—yet such power remains morally weighty because it operates within a larger struggle over dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a Pāṇḍava warrior overpowering enemy chariot-groups and horse-masses, striking them and even dragging chariot-formations by arm-strength, thereby disrupting the opposing battle array.