Shloka 30

Devanagari script

लोडयन्तमनीकानि द्विप॑ पद्मससरो यथा । नाशवनुवन्‌ वारयितु पार्थ क्षत्रियपुड़रवा:

Transliteration

loḍayantam anīkāni dvipaḥ padmasarovaraṃ yathā | nāśakan nu vārayituṃ pārtha kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: As an elephant churns a lotus-filled lake, so he was churning the battle-formations. The foremost of kṣatriyas could not check him, O Pārtha—such was the force of his onrush in that righteous yet terrible war.

Word by Word

• लोडयन्तम्: rolling/whirling (him)
• लोडयन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: लोडयत् (√लुड्/लुण्ड्/लोट्?; caus./denom. sense 'to roll/drive about')
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle)

• अनीकानि: armies, battle-formations
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• द्विपः: an elephant
• द्विपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पद्मससरः: a lotus-lake
• पद्मससरः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म-ससरस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आशकन्: were not able
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (अश्नुते/अश्नोति) / √शक् (variant reading likely)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada, Form in text 'नाशवन्' appears corrupt; expected 'नाशकन्/नाशक्नुवन्' = 'could not'

• अनुवन्: followed / (text uncertain)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अनु (to follow) / √अन् (to breathe/move) (uncertain due to corruption)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada, As transmitted 'अनुवन्' is unclear; likely part of 'नाशक्नुवन्' (could not) or 'अन्वयन्' (followed)

• वारयितुम्: to restrain, to stop
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वारयति, causative)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः: bulls among kshatriyas, foremost warriors
• क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय-पुङ्गव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ (foremost Kṣatriya warriors)
• anīkāni (battle-formations)
• dvipa (elephant)
• padmasarovara (lotus-lake)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming force and momentum in war can render even elite warriors unable to restrain a single dominant fighter, underscoring the peril of unchecked martial power and the tragic inevitability that arises once dharma-bound conflict escalates.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior (implied from context) violently disrupting the opposing formations, likening the scene to an elephant agitating a lotus-lake; despite their valor, the leading kṣatriya champions cannot stop his advance.