Shloka 163

Devanagari script

संछिन्ना नेमिभिश्रैव मृदिताश्न हयद्विपैः । कुछ लोगोंके अस्त्र-शस्त्र और कवच कट गये और वे अपने वाहनोंसे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े। उस दशामें रथके पहियोंकी नेमिसे दबकर उनके शरीरके टुकड़े-टुकड़े हो गये और कितने ही घोड़ों तथा हाथियोंसे कुचल गये

Transliteration

saṃchinnā nemibhiś caiva mṛditāś ca hayadvipaiḥ |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sagte: „Viele wurden von den Felgen der Wagenräder selbst zerschnitten, und viele wurden unter Pferden und Elefanten zerquetscht. Ihre Waffen und Rüstungen zerbarsten; von Reittieren und Fahrzeugen auf die Erde geschleudert, wurden sie niedergepresst und in Stücke gebrochen—ein Bild vom erbarmungslosen Schwung des Krieges, der Kraft und Stolz gleichermaßen in Trümmer legt.“

Word by Word

संछिन्नाःcut to pieces, severed

नेमिभिःby the fellies/rims (of wheels)

एवindeed, just, only

मृदिताःcrushed, trampled

अश्वैःby horses

हयैःby steeds (horses)

द्विपैःby elephants

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

chariot-wheel rims (nemi)

horses (haya)

elephants (dvipa)

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?

The verse underscores the brutal, indiscriminate nature of war: once violence is unleashed, even the instruments of power—chariots, horses, elephants—become forces that pulverize human bodies. It implicitly warns that martial glory is inseparable from immense suffering and the rapid collapse of worldly pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira describes the battlefield aftermath: warriors fall from their vehicles, their armour and weapons broken; some are sliced by chariot-wheel rims, while others are trampled and crushed by horses and elephants amid the chaos of combat.