Shloka 31

अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च

Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents

Devanagari script

अश्वानां पततां चापि प्रासानामृष्टिभि: सह । गदानां परिघानां च शक्तितोमरपट्टिशै:

Transliteration

aśvānāṃ patatāṃ cāpi prāsānām ṛṣṭibhiḥ saha | gadānāṃ parighānāṃ ca śaktitomarapaṭṭiśaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Auch Pferde stürzten, Speere samt Lanzen; ebenso Keulen und eiserne Knüttel—mitsamt śaktis, tomaras und Streitäxten.“ In diesem düsteren Verzeichnis von Waffen und Opfern hebt die Erzählung die unpersönliche, überwältigende Maschinerie des Krieges hervor, in der Lebewesen und Werkzeuge der Gewalt gleichermaßen in die Vernichtung gerissen werden.

Word by Word

• अश्वानाम्: of horses
• अश्वानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पतताम्: of those falling
• पतताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतत् (पत् धातु)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• प्रासानाम्: of spears
• प्रासानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रास
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ऋष्टिभिः: with lances
• ऋष्टिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• गदानाम्: of maces
• गदानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• परिघानाम्: of iron clubs/bars
• परिघानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिघ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शक्ति: of a javelin/spear
• शक्ति: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• तोमर: of a pike/club (tomara)
• तोमर: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोमर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पट्टिशैः: with battle-axes (pattiśa)
• पट्टिशैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट्टिश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• horses
• spears (prāsa)
• lances/pikes (ṛṣṭi)
• maces (gadā)
• iron clubs/bludgeons (parigha)
• śakti (dart)
• tomara (javelin)
• paṭṭiśa (battle-axe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a stark reminder of the dehumanizing scale of war: life (even horses) and weaponry are reduced to a falling, collapsing mass. Ethically, it invites reflection on the cost of conflict even when framed within kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, listing the kinds of weapons present and indicating that horses and armaments are falling amid intense combat.