Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ततः काम्बोजमुख्यानां नदीजानां च वाजिनाम्‌ | आरट्टानां महीजानां सिन्धुजानां च सर्वश:,तत्पश्चात्‌ काम्बोज देशके अच्छे घोड़े, दरियाई घोड़े, मही, स्विन्धु, वनायु, आरट्ट तथा पर्वतीय प्रान्तोंमें होनेवाले सुन्दर घोड़े--इन सबकी बहुत बड़ी सेनाके द्वारा सब ओरसे घिरा हुआ शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाला पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनका बलवान पुत्र इरावान्‌ हर्षमें भरकर रणभूमिमें कौरवोंकी उस सेनापर चढ़ आया। उसके साथ तित्तिर प्रदेशके शीघ्रगामी घोड़े भी मौजूद थे, जो वायुके समान वेगशाली थे। वे सब-के-सब सोनेके आभूषणोंसे विभूषित थे। उनके शरीरोंमें कवच बँधे हुए थे और उन्हें सुन्दर साज-बाजसे सजाया गया था। वे सभी घोड़े अच्छी जातिके तथा वायुके तुल्य शीघ्रगामी थे

Transliteration

tataḥ kāmbojamukhyānāṁ nadījānāṁ ca vājinām | ārāṭṭānāṁ mahījānāṁ sindhujānāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then there appeared, from every side, horses of many renowned breeds—foremost among them those from Kāmboja, along with river-bred horses, those from Ārāṭṭa, those bred on the plains, and those from Sindhu.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

काम्बोजमुख्यानाम्of those headed by the Kambojas

नदीजानाम्of river-born (from river regions)

चand

वाजिनाम्of horses

आरट्टानाम्of the Arattas

महीजानाम्earth-born / land-bred

सिन्धुजानाम्Sindhu-born (from the Indus region)

चand

सर्वशःon all sides, entirely

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kāmboja

Sindhu (Indus region)

Ārāṭṭa

vājin (horses/steeds)

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 highlights how worldly excellence—here, prized war-horses from famed regions—can be mobilized to magnify violence. It implicitly contrasts material strength and strategic abundance with the ethical burden of war: power and resources are morally neutral, but their use in battle deepens suffering and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the mustering and presence of many superior horses from different regions (Kāmboja, Sindhu, Ārāṭṭa, and others), emphasizing the scale and preparedness of the forces on the battlefield.