Shloka 86

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

शरभं पृष्ठसौवर्ण नकुलस्य महाध्वजम्‌ । अपश्याम रथे>त्युग्रं भीषयाणमवस्थितम्‌,नकुलकी विशाल ध्वजा शरभके चिह्नसे युक्त तथा पृष्ठभागमें सुवर्णमयी है। हमने देखा, वह अत्यन्त भयंकर रूपसे उनके रथपर फहराती और सबको भयभीत करती थी

Transliteration

śarabhaṃ pṛṣṭha-sauvarṇaṃ nakulasya mahā-dhvajam | apaśyāma rathe 'tyugraṃ bhīṣayāṇam avasthitam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “We beheld Nakula’s great banner—marked with the śarabha and adorned with gold upon its back—standing aloft on his chariot. Fierce in appearance, it fluttered there, striking fear into the opposing ranks.”

Word by Word

• शरभम्: a śarabha (mythic beast) (as emblem)
• शरभम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पृष्ठसौवर्णम्: golden on the back / with a golden back
• पृष्ठसौवर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृष्ठसौवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नकुलस्य: of Nakula
• नकुलस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महाध्वजम्: the great banner/standard
• महाध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), First, Plural, Parasmaipada

• रथे: on/in the chariot
• रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उग्रम्: fierce, terrible
• उग्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भीषयाणम्: frightening (others)
• भीषयाणम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: भीषयत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Śatṛ (present active participle)

• अवस्थितम्: standing, stationed, situated
• अवस्थितम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवस्था (अव + स्था)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Kta (past passive participle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• chariot (ratha)
• great banner/standard (mahādhvaja)
• Śarabha emblem (śarabha-cihna)