Shloka 48
Devanagari script
मृगसड्घान् यथा क्रुद्धः सिंहो द्रावयते वने
Transliteration
mṛgasaṅghān yathā kruddhaḥ siṃho drāvayate vane
Translation
Sañjaya said: “Just as an enraged lion in the forest scatters herds of deer, so did the warrior drive the opposing ranks into flight.”
Word by Word
मृगसङ्घान्herds/groups of deer
मृगसङ्घान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमृगसङ्घ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
यथाas/just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
क्रुद्धःangered
क्रुद्धः:
TypeAdjective
Rootक्रुध्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सिंहःlion
सिंहः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसिंह
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
द्रावयतेdrives away/puts to flight
द्रावयते:
TypeVerb
Rootद्रु (द्रावयति)
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada
वनेin the forest
वने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaL
lion (siṃha)D
deer (mṛga)F
forest (vana)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 teaches how fear spreads in conflict: when a powerful, wrath-driven force strikes, even large groups can lose cohesion. Ethically, it invites reflection on the difference between victory gained by terror and the higher ideal of courage rooted in dharma.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment using a vivid comparison: a dominant warrior’s assault causes enemy formations to scatter, just as deer flee when a furious lion charges through the forest.