Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अपोवाह रथेनाजौ भीमसेनस्य पश्यत: । प्रजानाथ! उसे विह्लल जानकर आपका पुत्र दुर्योधन रणभूमिमें रथके द्वारा भीमसेनके देखते-देखते अन्यत्र हटा ले गया || ७० $ ।। रथस्थे तु नरव्याप्रे धार्तराष्ट्रा: पराड्मुखा:

Transliteration

apo vāha rathenājau bhīmasenasya paśyataḥ | prajānātha! taṁ vihvalaṁ jñātvā tava putro duryodhanaḥ raṇabhūmau rathena bhīmasenasya paśyato’nyatra apāharat || rathasthe tu naravyāghre dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ parāṅmukhāḥ |

Translation

三阇耶说道：人中之主啊，就在毗摩塞那眼前，你的儿子难敌（杜尤陀那）见他已惊惶失措，便以战车将他从那处战地载走，移往别处。及至那位“人中猛虎”登上战车，持国之子们便转身退却，离开战斗。

Word by Word

अपोवाहcarried away, removed

रथेनby/with a chariot

अजौin battle

भीमसेनस्यof Bhimasena

पश्यतःwhile (he) was seeing; in the sight of

रथस्थेwhen (he) was on the chariot

तुbut, however

नरव्याप्रेwhen the tiger among men (hero) was (there)

धार्तराष्ट्राःthe sons of Dhritarashtra (Kauravas)

पराङ्मुखाःturned away; facing away (in retreat)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Duryodhana

Bhīmasena

Kauravas (Dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ)

chariot (ratha)

battlefield (raṇabhūmi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension in war between valor and prudence: a leader may be protected and withdrawn when overwhelmed, yet such withdrawal also signals wavering morale and a lapse from the expected steadfastness of kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, seeing the situation and recognizing distress, removes (or has removed) the endangered figure by chariot to another place on the battlefield, while the Kaurava forces turn away—indicating retreat in the face of Bhīmasena.