Shloka 18

अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal

Devanagari script

ततस्ते मां महीपाला: सर्व एव विशाम्पते । रथव्रातेन महता सर्वत: पर्यवारयन्‌,प्रजानाथ! तदनन्तर उन सब नरेशोंने विशाल रथ-समूहद्वारा मुझे सब ओरसे घेर लिया

Transliteration

tataste māṁ mahīpālāḥ sarva eva viśāmpate | rathavrātena mahatā sarvataḥ paryavārayan |

Translation

于是，人民之主啊，那些国王全都以庞大的战车群从四面将我围住——这是战场上协同推进的合围之势，在压倒性的兵力之下，考验着武士的决心与职责。

Word by Word

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: accusative, singular

• महीपालाः: kings, rulers of the earth
• महीपालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• रथव्रातेन: by a multitude/group of chariots
• रथव्रातेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथव्रात
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• महता: great, huge
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides, from every direction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• पर्यवारयन्: surrounded, encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √वृ (वरणे/आवरणे)
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, plural, parasmaipada

• प्रजानाथ: O lord of subjects/people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजानाथ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• kings (mahīpālāḥ)
• chariot host (rathavrāta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the pressure of collective force against an individual warrior and implicitly points to kṣatriya-dharma: steadfastness and disciplined action even when outnumbered, without abandoning one’s duty under fear or intimidation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that a group of kings formed a large chariot formation and encircled him from all directions, indicating a tactical attempt to contain and overwhelm him in battle.