Shloka 34

अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः

Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces

Devanagari script

ततः सरथनागाश्चा: पञ्चाला: पाण्डुपूर्वज । सेनापतिं परीप्सन्तो रुरुधुस्तनयं तव

Transliteration

tataḥ sa-ratha-nāgāś ca pāñcālāḥ pāṇḍu-pūrvaja | senāpatiṃ parīpsanto rurudhustanayaṃ tava || pāṇḍuke jyeṣṭha bhrātā rājan tab senāpati dhṛṣṭadyumnakī rakṣāke liye rathoṃ hāthiyoṃ aur ghōṛoṃ-sahit pāñcāloṃne āpke putrako cāroṃ orse gher liyā ||

Translation

Sanjaya nói: Bấy giờ quân Pāñcāla—được yểm trợ bởi chiến xa, voi trận và kỵ binh—đã áp sát và khép vòng vây quanh con trai của bệ hạ, hỡi đức vua, người anh cả của Pāṇḍu. Mưu toan bắt sống vị tổng chỉ huy, họ bao vây chàng từ bốn phía, quyết bảo vệ tướng lĩnh của mình là Dhṛṣṭadyumna.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: indeclinable (ablatival adverb)

• स-रथ-नागाः: those with chariots and elephants (chariot- and elephant-men)
• स-रथ-नागाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• पञ्चालाः: the Panchalas
• पञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाल
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• पाण्डु-पूर्वज: O elder brother of Pandu (Pandu's elder-born)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• सेना-पतिम्: the commander (of the army)
• सेना-पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनापति
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• परीप्सन्तः: desiring to obtain / seeking
• परीप्सन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परीप्स्
• Form: present active participle, masculine, nominative, plural

• रुरुधुः: they surrounded / they blocked in
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुध्
• Form: perfect, parasmaipada, 3rd person, plural

• तनयम्: son
• तनयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Pāṇḍu
• Pāñcālas
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• your son (Kaurava prince, unspecified in this verse)
• chariots
• elephants
• horses/cavalry
• senāpati (commander)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a wartime ethic and strategy: armies prioritize the safety of their own commander while attempting to neutralize the enemy’s leadership. It reflects how loyalty and command-structure become decisive moral and practical concerns in kṣatriya warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Pāñcālas, with chariots, elephants, and cavalry, surround Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son from all sides. Their aim is to seize the opposing commander while ensuring the protection of their own general, Dhṛṣṭadyumna.