Shloka 9

शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्

Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिरं परीप्सन्त: समन्तात्‌ पर्यवारयन्‌ । तदनन्तर अर्जुन, भीमसेन, माद्रीपुत्र पाण्डुकुमार नकुल, सहदेव, पुरुषसिंह सात्यकि, द्रौपदीके पाँचों पुत्र, धृष्टद्युम्म, शिखण्डी, पांचाल और सोमक वीर--इन सबने युधिष्ठिरकी रक्षाके लिये उन्हें चारों ओरसे घेर लिया || ७-८ ई ।। ते समन्तात्‌ परिवृता: पाण्डवा: पुरुषर्षभा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yudhiṣṭhiraṃ parīpsantaḥ samantāt paryavārayan | tadanantaraṃ arjunaḥ bhīmasenaḥ mādrīputrau pāṇḍukumārau nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca puruṣasiṃhaḥ sātyakiḥ draupadyāḥ pañca putrāḥ dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ śikhaṇḍī pañcālāḥ somakā vīrāś ca—ete sarve yudhiṣṭhirasya rakṣārthaṃ taṃ caturdiśaṃ paryavārayan | te samantāt parivṛtāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ |

Translation

桑阇耶说道：敌军欲擒持坚战王，遂从四面合围。于是阿周那、怖摩塞那、摩德丽二子那俱罗与娑诃提婆、人中之狮萨底耶迦、德罗帕蒂五子、提湿陀昙那、尸佉ṇḍī，以及般遮罗与娑摩迦诸勇士，尽皆环列成卫，四面护持坚战。如此被围护的般度诸子——人中雄牛——依然屹立不动。

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'yudhiṣṭhiram': 'Yudhiṣṭhira (accusative), the eldest Pāṇḍava', 'parīpsantaḥ': 'desiring to seize/capture

• seeking to obtain', 'samantāt': 'from all sides

• on every side', 'paryavārayan': 'they surrounded/encircled', 'tadanantaram': 'thereafter

• immediately after that', 'mādrīputrau': 'the two sons of Mādrī (Nakula and Sahadeva)', 'pāṇḍukumārau': 'the Pāṇḍu-princes', 'puruṣasiṃha': 'lion among men

• eminent hero', 'rakṣārtham': 'for the sake of protection', 'caturdiśam': 'on the four sides/directions', 'parivṛtāḥ': 'enclosed

• protected by a ring', 'pāṇḍavāḥ': 'the Pāṇḍavas', 'puruṣarṣabhāḥ': 'bulls among men

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Arjuna
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Mādrī
• Pāṇḍu
• Sātyaki
• Draupadī
• Draupadī’s five sons (Upapāṇḍavas)
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Śikhaṇḍī
• Pāñcālas
• Somakas
• Enemy forces (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights collective dharma in a crisis: the foremost duty of allied warriors is to protect the righteous leader (Yudhiṣṭhira). Courage is expressed not merely by attacking, but by disciplined solidarity—forming a protective formation to preserve the moral and strategic center of the army.

What is happening in the narrative?

Enemy warriors attempt to close in and capture Yudhiṣṭhira. In response, Arjuna, Bhīma, Nakula, Sahadeva, Sātyaki, Draupadī’s sons, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, and the Pāñcāla and Somaka fighters encircle him, creating a defensive ring to prevent his seizure.