Shloka 41

Devanagari script

हतैर्मनुष्यर्द्धिरदेश्व सर्वतः शराभिसूष्टे श्न हयैनिपातितै: । तदा श्वगोमायुबलाभिनादितं विचित्रमायोधशिरो बभूव तत्‌,बाणोंके आघातसे घायल होकर ढेर-के-ढेर मनुष्य मरे पड़े थे। चारों ओर हाथी धराशायी हो रहे थे और बहुत-से घोड़े मार डाले गये थे। उस समय कुत्तों और गीदड़ोंके समूहसे कोलाहलपूर्ण होकर वह युद्धका प्रमुख भाग अद्भुत प्रतीत हो रहा था

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | hatair manuṣyair dhiradeśva sarvataḥ śarābhisūṣṭeṣv aśva-hayaiḥ nipātitaiḥ | tadā śva-gomāyu-balābhināditaṃ vicitram āyodhaśiro babhūva tat ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: All around, heaps of men lay slain, struck down by showers of arrows; elephants were collapsing on every side, and many horses had been felled. Then that foremost sector of the battlefield appeared strange and dreadful—filled with the clamour of packs of dogs and jackals.

Word by Word

हतैःby the slain / with the killed

मनुष्य-ऋद्धि-रदेशुamong heaps/rows of human teeth (i.e., corpses/ruins)

चand

सर्वतःon all sides

शर-अभिसूष्टेin/at (the place) afflicted by arrows; arrow-tormented

श्व-हयैःby dogs and horses

निपातितैःby those felled / brought down

तदाthen

श्व-गो-मायु-बल-अभिनादितम्made noisy by troops of dogs, cows(?) and jackals

विचित्रम्wonderful/strange

आयोध-शिरःthe head/main part of the battle

बभूवbecame/was

तत्that

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

arrows (śara)

elephants (dvirada)

horses (aśva/haya)

dogs (śva)

jackals (gomāyu)

battlefield / battle-front (āyodha-śiraḥ)

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 underscores the stark moral and existential reality of war: beyond strategy and heroism lies mass death, the collapse of great creatures, and the desecrating aftermath symbolized by dogs and jackals. It invites reflection on the heavy price paid when dharma is pursued through violent means, even within the framework of kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a section of the battlefield where many men have been killed by arrows, elephants are falling, and horses are being slain. The area is filled with the howling and noise of packs of dogs and jackals, making the main battle-front appear uncanny and dreadful.