Shloka 56

Devanagari script

श्लिष्ट च सर्वतश्नक्रू रथमण्डलमाशु ते

Transliteration

śliṣṭa ca sarvataś cakrū rathamaṇḍalam āśu te

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, swiftly and from every side, they closed in and formed a tight chariot-circle—an encircling formation meant to protect their own and to press the enemy in the midst of battle.

Word by Word

• श्लिष्टम्: clasped/closed/compact
• श्लिष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लिष्ट (√श्लिष्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• सर्वतः: on all sides/from every side
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• चक्रुः: they made/formed
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• रथ-मण्डलम्: a circle/formation of chariots
• रथ-मण्डलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + मण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• ते: they/those (people)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot-circle (rathamaṇḍala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined coordination in war: collective action and ordered formation are portrayed as instruments of protection and pressure. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—skill and strategy can be executed with precision even amid a morally fraught conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the warriors rapidly arranged themselves into a circular chariot-formation (rathamaṇḍala), closing in from all directions—typically to defend key fighters or to surround an opponent during the battle.