Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वित्रस्तानि च सर्वाणि शकृन्मूत्रं प्रसुस्रुवुः । वाहनानि च सर्वाणि बभूवुर्विमनांसि च

Transliteration

vitrastāni ca sarvāṇi śakṛnmūtraṃ prasusruvuḥ | vāhanāni ca sarvāṇi babhūvur vimanāṃsi ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: All of them, seized by terror, involuntarily discharged feces and urine; and all the mounts and vehicles too became dejected and spiritless.

Word by Word

वित्रस्तानिterrified, frightened

चand

सर्वाणिall

शकृत्feces, dung

मूत्रम्urine

प्रसुस्रुवुःthey flowed forth, they discharged

वाहनानिmounts, vehicles (horses/elephants etc.)

चand

सर्वाणिall

बभूवुःthey became, were

विमनांसिdejected, dispirited

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

vāhanāni (mounts/vehicles)

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 the overpowering force of fear in war: it can strip beings of composure and self-control, and it can break morale so thoroughly that even the animals and vehicles of battle appear dispirited—an implicit warning about the ethical and psychological costs of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that those present were struck with terror; in that panic they involuntarily discharged feces and urine, and the mounts/vehicles also became downcast, signaling widespread shock and collapse of confidence at that moment in the battle.