Shloka 119

गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह

Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation

Devanagari script

प्रावेपन्त महेष्वासा: शिखण्डिप्रमुखा रथा: । संग्रामभूमिमें शोभा पानेवाले भीष्मजीके द्वारा महाधनुर्धर श्वेतके मारे जानेपर शिखण्डी आदि महाधनुर्धर रथी भयके मारे काँपने लगे || ११८ ह || ततो धनंजयो राजन वार्ष्णेयश्चापि सर्वश:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | prāvepanta maheṣvāsāḥ śikhaṇḍipramukhā rathāḥ | tato dhanañjayo rājan vārṣṇeyaś cāpi sarvaśaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Khi cung thủ hùng mạnh Śveta bị Bhīṣma giết, các đại cung thủ—những chiến xa do Śikhaṇḍin dẫn đầu—đã run rẩy vì sợ hãi. Rồi, tâu Đại vương, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) và Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa) dần dần rút quân khỏi chiến địa; và trong khoảnh khắc ấy, cả quân của bệ hạ lẫn đạo quân Pāṇḍava đều trở nên chán nản, không muốn tiếp tục giao chiến. Đoạn này cho thấy một chiến sĩ mẫu mực ngã xuống có thể làm lung lay sĩ khí và đổi thay cả khí chất đạo lý lẫn thế cờ của toàn quân.

Word by Word

• प्रावेपन्त: trembled
• प्रावेपन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वेप्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• महेष्वासाः: great archers
• महेष्वासाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिखण्डि-प्रमुखाः: having Śikhaṇḍin as foremost
• शिखण्डि-प्रमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिखण्डि-प्रमुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथाः: chariot-warriors / chariots
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• वार्ष्णेयः: Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa)
• वार्ष्णेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ष्णेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सर्वशः: entirely / on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address rājan)
• Bhīṣma
• Śveta
• Śikhaṇḍin
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)
• Kṛṣṇa (Vārṣṇeya)
• Kaurava army
• Pāṇḍava army
• battlefield (saṅgrāmabhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The episode underscores that dharma in war is not only personal valor but also steadiness of mind and leadership responsibility: the fall of a key warrior can destabilize collective resolve, and commanders must respond with measured strategy rather than panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma kills the powerful warrior Śveta, Śikhaṇḍin and other great chariot-archers tremble. Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa then pull their forces back gradually, and both the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava armies momentarily lose eagerness for battle.