Shloka 19

अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया

Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall

Devanagari script

शतचन्द्रं च तच्चर्म गौतमस्तस्य भारत । व्यधमत्‌ सायकैस्तूर्ण तत उच्चुक्रुशुर्जना:

Transliteration

śatacandraṃ ca tac carma gautamas tasya bhārata | vyadhamat sāyakais tūrṇaṃ tata uccukruśur janāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, Gautama (Kṛpācārya) swiftly pierced and shattered that shield—marked with a hundred moon-shaped emblems—with his arrows. At this, the warriors raised a loud outcry.

Word by Word

• शतचन्द्रम्: having a hundred moon(-shaped emblems)
• शतचन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शतचन्द्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चर्म: shield (leather buckler)
• चर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गौतमः: Gautama (Kripa)
• गौतमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• व्यधमत्: shattered/broke up (lit. blew asunder)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यधम् (ध्मा धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• उच्चुक्रुशुः: cried out
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + क्रुश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Gautama (Kṛpācārya/Kṛpa)
• shield (carma) with hundred moon-emblems (śatacandra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how quickly worldly protections—status, armor, and confidence—can be destroyed in war, reminding the listener that skill and force can overturn security instantly, and that violence spreads fear and agitation through the whole assembly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛpācārya (called Gautama) rapidly strikes with arrows and breaks a shield decorated with a hundred crescent-moon emblems; the surrounding warriors respond with a loud collective outcry.