Mahabharata 7.159.24 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 159, Shloka 24

अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः

Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle

Devanagari script

शकुने भ्रातरो वीरा गवाक्ष: शरभो विभु: । सुभगो भानुदत्तश्न शूरा: पजच महारथा:

Transliteration

śakune bhrātaro vīrā gavākṣaḥ śarabho vibhuḥ | subhago bhānudattaś ca śūrāḥ pañca mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

شکنی کے بھائی—دلیر—گواکش، شربھ، وِبھو، سُبھگ اور بھانودت—یہ پانچوں شُور مہارتھی تھے۔

Word by Word

• शकुनेः: of Shakuni
• शकुनेः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भ्रातरः: brothers
• भ्रातरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वीराः: heroic
• वीराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गवाक्षः: Gavaksha (proper name)
• गवाक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवाक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरभः: Sharabha (proper name)
• शरभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विभुः: Vibhu (proper name / the mighty one)
• विभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुभगः: Subhaga (proper name / the fortunate one)
• सुभगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुभग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भानुदत्तः: Bhanudatta (proper name; 'given by the sun')
• भानुदत्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानुदत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• शूराः: valiant
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śakuni
• Gavākṣa
• Śarabha
• Vibhu
• Subhaga
• Bhānudatta
• mahāratha (class of warrior)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war consumes not only principal leaders but also their entire families and allies; kinship loyalty, when tied to unjust aims, can intensify collective participation in violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya enumerates five of Śakuni’s brothers—Gavākṣa, Śarabha, Vibhu, Subhaga, and Bhānudatta—identifying them as mahārathas present in the battle context.