Shloka 10

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety and Bhīṣma’s Theological Explanation of Pāṇḍava Invincibility

Book 6, Chapter 61

Devanagari script

सेनाग्रादपि निष्पत्य प्रायुध्यंस्तत्र मानवा: । उभयो: सेनयो राजन्‌ व्यतिषक्तरथद्वधिपा:

Transliteration

senāgrād api niṣpatya prāyudhyantas tatra mānavāḥ | ubhayoḥ senayo rājan vyatiṣakta-ratha-dvipāḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，有些勇士竟从战阵最前锋冲出，在那里贴身搏杀。两军的战车与战象相互撞击，彼此纠缠交错。”

Word by Word

• सेना-अग्रात्: from the front of the army
• सेना-अग्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनाग्र
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• निष्पत्य: having rushed out
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√पत्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• प्रायुध्यन्: fighting
• प्रायुध्यन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√युध्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• मानवाः: men/warriors
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उभयोः: of both
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• सेनयोः: of the two armies
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Dual

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

• व्यतिषक्त-रथ-द्विपाः: whose chariots and elephants were intermingled/locked together
• व्यतिषक्त-रथ-द्विपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यतिषक्तरथद्विप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• two armies (Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces)
• chariots (ratha)
• elephants (dvipāḥ)
• battle-array/formation (vyūha, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how, once battle is joined, even carefully arranged formations can dissolve into close-quarters chaos; it implicitly highlights the gravity of kṣatriya warfare where discipline is tested and the consequences of conflict become immediate and entangling for both sides.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that warriors surged out from the vanguard beyond the formal battle-array and fought directly; meanwhile, the chariots and elephants of both armies collided and became locked together in the press of battle.