Mahabharata 4.33.7 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 33, Shloka 7

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 33 — Kuru Cattle-Raid and Matsya Mobilization (भूमिंजय-प्रेरणा)

Devanagari script

बल॑ तु मत्स्यस्य बलेन राजा सर्व त्रिगर्ताधिपति: सुशर्मा | प्रमथ्य जित्वा च प्रसह मत्स्यं विराटमोजस्विनम भ्यधावत्‌

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | balaṃ tu matsyasya balena rājā sarva-trigartādhipatiḥ suśarmā | pramathya jitvā ca prasaha matsyaṃ virāṭam ojasvinam abhyadhāvat |

Translation

تمام تریگرتوں کے سردار راجا سُشرما نے اپنی فوج کے زور سے متسیہ کی فوج کو کچل ڈالا اور متسیہ راجا کو زبردستی شکست دے کر، مہاپرाकرم وِراٹ پر چڑھ آیا۔

Word by Word

• बलम्: strength/army
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मत्स्यस्य: of the Matsya (kingdom/people)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• बलेन: by (his) force/army
• बलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वत्रिगर्ताधिपतिः: lord of all the Trigartas
• सर्वत्रिगर्ताधिपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिगर्ताधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुशर्मा: Susharman
• सुशर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुशर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमथ्य: having crushed/overpowered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मथ्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• जित्वा: having conquered
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Ktvā (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

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

• प्रसह: forcibly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसह

• मत्स्यम्: the Matsya (king/people)
• मत्स्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विराटम्: Virata
• विराटम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ओजस्विनम्: mighty/energetic
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ओजस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यधावत्: charged/ran towards
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धाव्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Suśarmā
• Trigarta
• Matsya
• Virāṭa
• Matsya army
• Trigarta army
• Virāṭa’s horses
• charioteer (sārathi)
• flank-guards

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of royal power when military support and protective formations fail; it also reflects the harsh reality of kṣatriya conflict where victory is often pursued through force, raising ethical tension between rightful warfare and sheer aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Suśarmā, king of the Trigartas, defeats the Matsya forces and advances on King Virāṭa; Virāṭa’s chariot support is destroyed (horses and attendants killed), leaving him vulnerable and captured alive.