Shloka 5

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements

Devanagari script

तत्राश्चर्यम भूद्‌ युद्धे सात्वतस्य परैः सह । यदेको वारयामास पाण्डुसेनां दुरासदाम्‌

Transliteration

tatrāścaryaṁ bhūd yuddhe sātvatasyaparaiḥ saha | yad eko vārayāmāsa pāṇḍusenāṁ durāsadām ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Trong trận ấy đã xảy ra một điều kỳ lạ trong cuộc giao tranh giữa dũng sĩ Sātvata và các đối thủ—rằng chỉ một mình ông đã cản được đạo quân Pāṇḍava hùng mạnh, khó bề chống đỡ.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अभूत्: was, occurred
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 3rd, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सात्वतस्य: of the Sātvata (Krishna)
• सात्वतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• परैः: with/against the foes
• परैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• यत्: that (namely), since/when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वारयामास: held back, restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd, Singular

• पाण्डुसेनाम्: the Pāṇḍava army
• पाण्डुसेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसेना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दुरासदाम्: hard to assail/approach
• दुरासदाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātvata (a Vṛṣṇi/Yādava hero)
• Pāṇḍava army (Pāṇḍusenā)
• battle/war (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary individual valor can arrest even a powerful collective force, inviting reflection on the paradox of war: admiration for prowess arises even when the broader conflict carries heavy ethical consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an astonishing event occurred: a Sātvata hero, fighting amid enemies, single-handedly checked the advance of the formidable Pāṇḍava army.