Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम कृत्स्नामक्षौहिणीं हताम्‌

Transliteration

tatrādbhutam apaśyāma kṛtsnām akṣauhiṇīṁ hatām

Translation

Sañjaya said: “There we beheld a marvel—an entire akṣauhiṇī (a full battle-division) lying slain.”

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: true

• अद्भुतम्: a wonder, something marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 1st, plural, parasmaipada

• कृत्स्नाम्: entire, whole
• कृत्स्नाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• अक्षौहिणीम्: an army (akṣauhiṇī)
• अक्षौहिणीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षौहिणी
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• हताम्: slain, killed
• हताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: past passive participle (kta), feminine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• akṣauhiṇī (army division)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the shocking impermanence of worldly power: even a complete, well-ordered army can be annihilated. Implicitly it cautions against adharma-driven conflict, where pride and vengeance culminate in catastrophic loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra what was witnessed on the battlefield: an astonishing sight—an entire akṣauhiṇī has been killed. It functions as a brief, vivid marker of the war’s immense and escalating devastation.