Shloka 48

Devanagari script

हयोगग्रैर्महावेगैहेंमभाण्डवि भूषितै: । युक्त समारुह्मु च तं विमानप्रतिमं रथम्‌

Transliteration

hayograiḥ mahāvegaiḥ hemabhāṇḍa-vibhūṣitaiḥ | yuktaṃ samāruhya ca taṃ vimāna-pratimaṃ ratham ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Harnessing swift, powerful horses, adorned with golden trappings, they mounted that chariot—splendid like a celestial aerial car—ready for the next surge of battle. The verse underscores how martial resolve is expressed not only through intent but through disciplined preparation and the dignified, almost ritualized, readiness for war.

Word by Word

हय-योग्यैःwith horses fit (for yoking)

महावेगैःwith great speed

हेम-भाण्डैःwith golden trappings/ornaments

विभूषितैःadorned

युक्तम्yoked, harnessed

समारुह्मुḥthey mounted/ascended

चand

तम्that

विमान-प्रतिमम्like an aerial car (vimāna-like)

रथम्chariot

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

ratha (chariot)

hayāḥ (horses)

hema-bhāṇḍa (golden trappings)

vimāna (celestial aerial car, as a simile)

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 disciplined readiness: in a dharmic narrative, action is preceded by proper preparation and order. Even amid violence, the epic often frames conduct through control, competence, and the visible signs of responsibility borne by warriors and leaders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes warriors (implied by context) harnessing swift horses with golden equipment and mounting a magnificent chariot likened to a vimāna, signaling immediate movement into the next phase of the battle.