SB 1.15.14 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यद्बान्धव: कुरुबलाब्धिमनन्तपार- मेको रथेन ततरेऽहमतीर्यसत्त्वम् । प्रत्याहृतं बहु धनं च मया परेषां तेजास्पदं मणिमयं च हृतं शिरोभ्य: ॥ १४ ॥

Verse text

yad-bāndhavaḥ kuru-balābdhim ananta-pāram eko rathena tatare ’ham atīrya-sattvam pratyāhṛtaṁ bahu dhanaṁ ca mayā pareṣāṁ tejās-padaṁ maṇimayaṁ ca hṛtaṁ śirobhyaḥ

Synonyms

yat — bāndhavaḥ — by whose friendship only ; kuru — bala — abdhim — the ocean of the military strength of the Kurus ; ananta — pāram — which was insurmountable ; ekaḥ — alone ; rathena — being seated on the chariot ; tatare — was able to cross over ; aham — myself ; atīrya — invincible ; sattvam — existence ; pratyāhṛtam — drew back ; bahu — very large quantity ; dhanam — wealth ; ca — also ; mayā — by my ; pareṣām — of the enemy ; tejāḥ — padam — source of brilliance ; maṇi — mayam — bedecked with jewels ; ca — also ; hṛtam — taken by force ; śirobhyaḥ — from their heads .

Translation

The military strength of the Kauravas was like an ocean in which there dwelled many invincible existences, and thus it was insurmountable. But because of His friendship, I, seated on the chariot, was able to cross over it. And only by His grace was I able to regain the cows and also collect by force many helmets of the kings, which were bedecked with jewels that were sources of all brilliance.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Having him as a relative, I alone crossed over the ocean of the Kuru’s strength, infinite in width, filled with formidable creatures, on my chariot, and took abundant wealth of cows and jeweled turbans, symbols of their power, from their head.

Purport

On the Kaurava side there were many stalwart commanders like Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Kṛpa and Karṇa, and their military strength was as insurmountable as the great ocean. And yet it was due to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s grace that Arjuna alone, sitting on the chariot, could manage to vanquish them one after another without difficulty. There were many changes of commanders on the other side, but on the Pāṇḍavas’ side Arjuna alone on the chariot driven by Lord Kṛṣṇa could manage the whole responsibility of the great war. Similarly, when the Pāṇḍavas were living at the palace of Virāṭa incognito, the Kauravas picked a quarrel with King Virāṭa and decided to take away his large number of cows. While they were taking away the cows, Arjuna fought with them incognito and was able to regain the cows along with some booty taken by force — the jewels set on the turbans of the royal order. Arjuna remembered that all this was possible by the grace of the Lord.

Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I, who had Kṛṣṇa as my relative (yad-bāndhavaḥ), alone, crossed the ocean of the Kuru army, to take back the cows of King Uttara. That army had no end, because of its density and placement. That ocean was filled with formidable creatures (atīrya-sattvam) such as Bhīṣma who were like timiṅgala fish in the ocean. I took wealth in the form of the cows and their turbans, symbols of their power (tejās-padam) from their heads, bewildering them with the mohana weapon.