Shloka 4

Devanagari script

'प्रजानाथ! शत्रुओंके साथ-साथ तुमलोगोंके पास भी विशाल सेना जुट गयी थी; परंतु परस्पर युद्ध करके प्रायः नष्ट हो गयी, अब थोड़ी-सी ही शेष रह गयी है ।। भूत्वा वै कौरवा: पार्थ प्रभूतगजवाजिन: । त्वां वै शत्रुं समासाद्य विनष्टा रणमूर्थनि,'पार्थ! कौरवपक्षके योद्धा बहुसंख्यक हाथी-घोड़ोंसे सम्पन्न थे, परंतु तुम-जैसे वीर शत्रुको पाकर युद्धके मुहानेपर नष्ट हो गये

Transliteration

bhūtvā vai kauravāḥ pārtha prabhūta-gaja-vājinaḥ | tvāṃ vai śatruṃ samāsādya vinaṣṭā raṇa-mūrdhani ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Pārtha, the Kauravas had indeed become a mighty host, rich in elephants and horses. Yet, having encountered you as their formidable foe, they were shattered at the very forefront of battle.”

Word by Word

भूत्वाhaving become

वैindeed

कौरवाःthe Kauravas

पार्थO Partha (Arjuna)

प्रभूतabundant, numerous

गजवाजिनःelephants and horses (those possessing them / elephant-and-horse forces)

त्वाम्you

वैindeed

शत्रुम्enemy

समासाद्यhaving approached/encountered

विनष्टाःwere destroyed, perished

रणमूर्धनिon the battlefield-front / at the head of battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Kauravas

elephants

horses

battlefront (raṇa-mūrdhan)

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?

Even vast material strength—numbers, elephants, horses—can collapse when opposed by superior valor, strategy, and the momentum of dharma-driven resolve; the verse underscores the fragility of power when it is misdirected or ethically compromised.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces, though once immense and well-equipped, have been largely destroyed after confronting Arjuna (Pārtha) at the forefront of the fighting.