Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पादाताश्षाग्रतो5गच्छन्‌ धनुश्चर्मासिपाणय: । अनेकशतसाहस्रा नखरप्रासयोधिन:,कुछ पैदल सैनिक, जिनकी संख्या कई लाख थी, हाथमें धनुष, ढाल और तलवार लिये आगे-आगे चल रहे थे। वे नखर (बघनखे) और प्रासद्वारा भी युद्ध करनेमें कुशल थे

Transliteration

pādātāḥ agrato 'gacchan dhanuś-carmāsi-pāṇayaḥ | aneka-śata-sāhasrā nakhara-prāsa-yodhinaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Im Vortrab rückten Fußsoldaten vor — viele Hunderttausende — mit Bogen, Schild und Schwert in den Händen. Sie waren auch darin geschult, mit Nakharā-Waffen (krallenartigen Klingen) und mit Speeren zu kämpfen.“

Word by Word

पादाताःfoot-soldiers

अग्रतःin front, ahead

अगच्छन्went, marched

धनुःbow

चर्मshield (leather)

असिsword

पाणयःhands (i.e., having in their hands)

अनेकmany

शतhundreds

सहस्राःthousands

नखरwith (iron) claws / baghnakha

प्रासwith spears

योधिनःfighters, warriors

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

pādātāḥ (infantry)

dhanuḥ (bow)

carma (shield)

asi (sword)

nakhara (claw-weapon)

prāsa (spear)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the scale and discipline of the war-host: even the infantry are numerous and well-equipped with diverse weapons. Ethically, it frames the coming conflict as a fully mobilized kṣatriya battlefield where duty, preparedness, and the consequences of mass violence are inescapably present.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield scene at Kurukṣetra. Here he describes the vanguard of the army: vast numbers of foot-soldiers marching ahead, carrying bows, shields, and swords, and skilled also with claw-weapons and spears.