SB 10.68.12 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.68.12

तं बद्ध्वा विरथीकृत्य कृच्छ्रेण कुरवो युधि । कुमारं स्वस्य कन्यां च स्वपुरं जयिनोऽविशन् ॥ १२ ॥

taṁ baddhvā virathī-kṛtya

[tam baddhvaa virathee-kritya]

kṛcchreṇa kuravo yudhi

[krichchrena kuravo yudhi]

kumāraṁ svasya kanyāṁ ca

[kumaaram svasya kanyaam cha]

sva-puraṁ jayino ’viśan

[sva-puram jayino ’vishan]

Word-for-word

tam — him baddhvā — binding up virathī - kṛtya — having deprived him of his chariot kṛcchreṇa — with difficulty kuravaḥ — the Kurus yudhi — in the fight kumāram — the young boy svasya — their own kanyām — girl ca — and sva - puram — their city jayinaḥ — victorious aviśan — entered .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

taṁ baddhvā virathī-kṛtya

tam

him

baddhvā

binding up

virathī - kṛtya

having deprived him of his chariot

kṛcchreṇa

with difficulty

kṛcchreṇa kuravo yudhi

kuravaḥ

the Kurus

yudhi

in the fight

kumāraṁ svasya kanyāṁ ca

kumāram

the young boy

svasya

their own

kanyām

girl

and

sva-puraṁ jayino ’viśan

sva - puram

their city

jayinaḥ

victorious

aviśan

entered .

Important Words

kṛcchreṇa — with great difficulty
Even bound and disarmed, Sāmba could not be tied without effort. Vyāsa notes this to preserve the youth's dignity — and to underline the Kurus' joint exertion against a single boy.
jayinaḥ — victorious
Ironic. They call this a victory; Śukadeva uses the word so that we may know whose 'victory' is about to dissolve into a city tilting toward the Ganges.
sva - puram — their own city
Hastināpura. The reader is meant to remember this word, because by verse 41 the same city will be torn loose from its foundations.

Having deprived Sāmba of his chariot during the fight, the Kuru warriors tied him up with great difficulty and then returned victorious to their city, taking the young boy and their princess.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Having deprived Sāmba of his chariot during the fight, the Kuru warriors tied him up with great difficulty and then returned victorious to their city, taking the young boy and their princess.

Commentary

Seizing the boy and the girl, they entered the city.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

After they had got him off the chariot they bound him. Otherwise it was impossible. Taking (verb understood) the boy and the girl they entered the city. By describing him as a young boy (kumāram) it is shown that it was unjust for many elder, proud warriors to bind one boy. It was previous said that Sāmba was an astonishing boy (acintyārbhaḥ). The victory of the Kurus was by the will of the Lord for particular pastimes, just as Aniruddha was captured only by the will of the Lord.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

Sāmba was finally bound and brought to the city as a prisoner. Even the most skilled can be temporarily defeated; defeat is not the final word, only the next scene.

Reflection Questions

How do I respond to setbacks that look like outright defeat?
What faith carries me through to the next scene?

Analogy

Even after the lion-cub falls, six hunters drag him bound to their city — but the lion-mother in the cave has been awakened, and the city is built on her path home.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io