Shloka 42
Devanagari script
तान्यनीकानि दृप्तानि शस्त्रवन्ति महान्ति च
Transliteration
tāny anīkāni dṛptāni śastravanti mahānti ca
Translation
Sañjaya said: “Those battle-formations stood proud and formidable—well-armed and vast in scale.”
Word by Word
तानिthose
तानि:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
अनीकानिarmies, battle-formations
अनीकानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअनीक
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
दृप्तानिproud, haughty
दृप्तानि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदृप्त
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
शस्त्रवन्तिarmed, possessing weapons
शस्त्रवन्ति:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशस्त्रवत्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
महान्तिgreat, large
महान्ति:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaA
anīka (battle-formations/armies)Ś
śastra (weapons)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
The verse highlights the intoxicating confidence of armed power: vast, weapon-bearing forces can become ‘dṛpta’ (proud), reminding the reader that martial strength often breeds arrogance—an ethical tension repeatedly examined in the war narrative.
Sañjaya, reporting events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes the opposing military arrays as immense and fully armed, emphasizing their intimidating presence and the heightened, pride-filled mood before or during engagement.