Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 5

कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna

Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying

नागान्‌ नागा: समासाद्य व्यधमन्त परस्परम्‌ । हया हयांश्व॒ समरे रथिनो रथिनस्तथा,नागाश्च समरे उयड़ं ममृदु: शीघ्रगा नृप । हाथी हाथियोंसे भिड़कर एक-दूसरेको संताप देने लगे। उस समरांगणमें घोड़े घोड़ों, रथी रथियों एवं पैदल पैदलसमूहों, अश्वसमुदायों तथा रथों और हाथियोंका भी मर्दन कर रहे थे। नरेश्वर! इसी प्रकार रथी हाथी और घोड़ोंका तथा शीघ्रगामी हाथी उस युद्धस्थलमें हाथी सेनाके अन्य तीन अंगोंको रौंदने लगे

sañjaya uvāca | nāgān nāgāḥ samāsādya vyadhamanta parasparam | hayā hayaṃś ca samare rathino rathinas tathā | nāgāś ca samare yuddhaṃ mamṛduḥ śīghragā nṛpa |

সঞ্জয়ে ক’লে—হাতী হাতীৰ ওচৰলৈ গৈ পৰস্পৰে পৰস্পৰক আঘাত কৰি একে-আনক যন্ত্ৰণা দিলে। ৰণক্ষেত্ৰত ঘোঁৰা ঘোঁৰাৰ সৈতে, ৰথী ৰথীৰ সৈতে সংঘৰ্ষত লিপ্ত হ’ল; আৰু বেগৱান গজসমূহে, হে নৃপ, সেই সমৰৰ গোঁজামিলত শত্রুসেনাক পদদলিত কৰি চূর্ণ-বিচূর্ণ কৰিলে। এইদৰে সেনাৰ প্ৰতিটো অংগই নিজৰ প্ৰতিপক্ষৰ সৈতে জড়াই পৰিল, আৰু ক্ৰোধ-বেগত উন্মত্ত মহাগজে আন বিভাগসমূহৰ ওপৰতো ধাৱমান হ’ল।

नागान्elephants
नागान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
नागाःelephants
नागाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
समासाद्यhaving approached/encountered
समासाद्य:
Adhikarana
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-√सद्
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite
व्यधमन्तthey struck/harassed
व्यधमन्त:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√धम्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
परस्परम्mutually, one another
परस्परम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपरस्पर
हयाःhorses
हयाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootहय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
हयान्horses
हयान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootहय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
समरेin battle
समरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमर
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
रथिनःchariot-warriors
रथिनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootरथिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
रथिनःchariot-warriors
रथिनः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरथिन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तथाlikewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
नागाःelephants
नागाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
समरेin battle
समरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमर
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
ममृदुःthey crushed/trampled
ममृदुः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√मृद्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
शीघ्रगाःswift-moving (ones)
शीघ्रगाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशीघ्रग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नृपO king
नृप:
TypeNoun
Rootनृप
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
N
nṛpa (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)
N
nāga (war-elephants)
H
haya (horses)
R
rathin (chariot-warriors)
S
samara (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

The verse primarily functions as vivid battlefield reportage rather than moral instruction: it underscores how war collapses order into mutual harm, where even the organized ‘fourfold army’ (elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry) becomes a scene of indiscriminate crushing and reciprocal suffering.

Sañjaya describes the clash of the opposing armies: elephants collide with elephants, horses with horses, and chariot-fighters with chariot-fighters, while swift elephants trample and crush troops amid the tumult of the fight.