Shloka 38

Duryodhana’s Anxiety, Bhīṣma’s Reassurance, and Renewed Mobilization (दुर्योधनचिन्ता–भीष्मप्रत्याश्वासन–सेनानिर्गमनम्)

Devanagari script

ततः स्वरथमारोप्य लक्ष्मणं गौतमस्तदा । अपोवाह रथेनाजौ सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यत:

Transliteration

tataḥ svarathamāropya lakṣmaṇaṃ gautamas tadā | apovāha rathenājau sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“随后，乔多摩将罗刹摩那扶上自己的战车，驾车载他离开战场；此举尽为全军所目睹。”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• स्व-रथम्: his own chariot
• स्व-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आरोप्य: having mounted/placed (on)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• लक्ष्मणम्: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• अपोवाह: carried off, drove away
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-वाह्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रथेन: by/with the chariot
• रथेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अजौ: in battle
• अजौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सर्व-सैन्यस्य: of the entire army
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वसैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पश्यतः: while (it was) watching; in the presence of (those) seeing
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत्
• Form: Present active participle, Neuter, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Gautama
• Lakṣmaṇa
• ratha (chariot)
• āja (battlefield)
• sarvasainya (entire army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, dharma includes responsibility toward one’s companions: when a warrior is endangered or incapacitated, protecting and removing him from immediate harm can be a righteous act, balancing valor with humane duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gautama places Lakṣmaṇa onto his own chariot and drives him away from the battlefield, and this withdrawal happens openly, witnessed by the whole army, as Sañjaya reports the event.