Shloka 61

Devanagari script

रथिन: सादिनश्चाथ व्यकीर्यन्त सहस्रश: । ततः शान्तनव: क्रुद्ध: शरै:ः संनतपर्वभि:

Transliteration

rathinaḥ sādināś cātha vyakīryanta sahasraśaḥ | tataḥ śāntanavaḥ kruddhaḥ śaraiḥ sannatapārva-bhiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Rồi các chiến xa binh và kỵ binh bị đánh tản ra hàng nghìn. Khi ấy Śāntanava (Bhīṣma) nổi giận, bắn những mũi tên có các khớp uốn cong chuẩn xác—phóng ra sức mạnh kỷ luật và chí tử giữa cơn hỗn loạn của chiến trường.

Word by Word

रथिनःchariot-warriors

सादिनःhorsemen/cavalrymen

चand

अथthen/thereupon

व्यकीर्यन्तwere scattered/dispersed

सहस्रशःby thousands; in thousands

ततःthen; thereafter

शान्तनवःthe son of Śāntanu (Bhīṣma)

क्रुद्धःangry

शरैःwith arrows

संनतपर्वभिःhaving well-bent joints (i.e., well-made)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śāntanava (Bhīṣma)

rathin (chariot-warriors)

sādin (horsemen/cavalry)

śara (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield reality that disorder and mass scattering can arise suddenly, and that a commander’s response—here Bhīṣma’s controlled yet fierce use of well-crafted arrows—shows how martial discipline and resolve are expected in kṣatriya warfare, even amid anger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that large numbers of chariot-warriors and cavalry are dispersed. In response, Bhīṣma (Śāntanava), angered, attacks with expertly made arrows, intensifying the fight and attempting to reassert dominance on the field.