Shloka 14

Devanagari script

साश्वध्वजरथ: संख्ये धृतराष्ट्र पतेद्‌ भुवि । विना जनार्दन॑ पार्थो योगानामीश्वरं प्रभुम्‌,महाराज धृतराष्ट्र! यदि योगेश्वर भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्ण न हों तो अर्जुन घोड़े, ध्वज और रथसहित निश्चय ही युद्धमें धराशायी हो जायेँ

Transliteration

sāśvadhvajarathaḥ saṅkhye dhṛtarāṣṭra pated bhuvi | vinā janārdanaṃ pārtho yogānām īśvaraṃ prabhum ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, im Gedränge der Schlacht würde Pārtha (Arjuna) gewiss zu Boden stürzen, mitsamt seinen Pferden, dem Banner und dem Wagen, wäre er ohne Janārdana—Śrī Kṛṣṇa, den erhabenen Herrn und Meister des Yoga.“

Word by Word

सhe (that one)

अश्व-ध्वज-रथःwith horse, banner, and chariot (i.e., horse-banner-chariot as a unit)

संख्येin battle

धृतराष्ट्रO Dhṛtarāṣṭra

पतेत्would fall

भुविon the ground

विनाwithout

जनार्दनम्Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

पार्थःPārtha (Arjuna)

योगानाम्of yogas / of disciplines

ईश्वरम्the lord

प्रभुम्the master

महाराजO great king

धृतराष्ट्रO Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

horses

banner/standard (dhvaja)

chariot (ratha)

battlefield (saṅkhya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human strength and strategy are portrayed as fragile without right guidance and the higher power of yoga embodied by Kṛṣṇa; ethical steadiness and success in a dharmic struggle depend on alignment with the Lord (Yogeśvara) rather than mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing that Arjuna’s survival and effectiveness in the war hinge on Kṛṣṇa’s presence as charioteer and divine protector; without him Arjuna would be brought down in battle along with his entire chariot apparatus.