Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तदन्तरं प्राप्य वृषो महारथो रथाड्रमुर्वीगतमुज्जिहीर्षु:

Transliteration

tadantaraṁ prāpya vṛṣo mahāratho rathāḍram urvīgatam ujjihīrṣuḥ

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Nắm được kẽ hở ấy, Vṛṣa—bậc đại xa chiến—hăm hở tìm cách nhấc cỗ xe đã lún xuống đất, gắng giành lại sự cơ động giữa vòng vây chiến trận.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्तरम्: interval; opportunity; gap
• अन्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्य: having obtained/reached
• प्राप्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• वृषः: the bull (heroic epithet); Vr̥ṣa
• वृषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महारथः: great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथ: chariot
• रथ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आड्रम्: wet; muddy
• आड्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आड्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उर्वीगतम्: gone into the earth; sunk into the ground
• उर्वीगतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उर्वीगत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle) from √गम् with prefix/compounding sense

• उज्जिहीर्षुः: wishing to lift out / to pull up
• उज्जिहीर्षुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + √हृ (हरति)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, इष्णु/इष्णु (desiderative participle sense: 'wishing to')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vṛṣa (Karṇa)
• ratha (chariot)
• urvī (earth/ground)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior’s resolve under adversity: even when circumstances turn against him (the chariot sinking), the kṣatriya ideal demands effort, composure, and persistence rather than surrender to panic or despair.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Karṇa (called Vṛṣa) seizing a brief opening in the fight to try to lift and free his chariot, which has become lodged in muddy ground, so he can rejoin the combat effectively.