Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सादिता रथनागाश्ष हताश्वा रथिनो रणे । विप्रद्रुतरथा: केचिद्‌ दृश्यन्ते रथयूथपा:,उस रणभूमिमें कितने ही रथ टूट गये, बहुतेरे हाथी नष्ट हो गये, कितने ही रथियोंके घोड़े मार डाले गये और कितने ही रथ-यूथपतियोंके रथ भागते दिखायी दिये

Transliteration

sāditā rathanāgāś ca hatāśvā rathino raṇe | vipradrutarathāḥ kecid dṛśyante rathayūthapāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Auf jenem Schlachtfeld wurden viele Streitwagen zerschmettert und viele Kriegselefanten zu Fall gebracht. Vielen Wagenkämpfern wurden die Pferde erschlagen, und manche Anführer von Wagenabteilungen sah man in Unordnung mit ihren Wagen fliehen.

Word by Word

सादिताःdestroyed/disabled

रथनागाःelephants (in chariot-divisions / chariot-elephants)

हताश्वाःwhose horses were slain

रथिनःchariot-warriors

रणेin battle

विप्रद्रुतरथाःwhose chariots fled/ran away in disorder

केचित्some

दृश्यन्तेare seen/appear

रथयूथपाःleaders of chariot-troops

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

chariots (ratha)

war-elephants (nāga)

horses (aśva)

chariot-warriors (rathin)

leaders of chariot-squadrons (rathayūthapāḥ)

battlefield (raṇa)

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 destabilizing power of war: even disciplined formations collapse into fear and flight. Implicitly, it invites reflection on dharma—how righteous conduct is tested when destruction, panic, and the instinct to survive overwhelm order and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the immediate scene of combat: chariots are smashed, elephants are felled, horses of chariot-warriors are killed, and some chariot-unit commanders are seen retreating in confusion, indicating a rout in parts of the army.