Shloka 19

Devanagari script

संपिष्टदग्धविध्वस्तं तव सैन्यं किरीटिना

Transliteration

sampiṣṭadagdha-vidhvastaṃ tava sainyaṃ kirīṭinā

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Your army has been crushed, burned, and utterly shattered by the Kirīṭin (Arjuna).”

Word by Word

• संपिष्टदग्धविध्वस्तम्: crushed, burnt, and destroyed
• संपिष्टदग्धविध्वस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपिष्ट-दग्ध-विध्वस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• किरीटिना: by the diademed one (Arjuna)
• किरीटिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Kirīṭin)
• Kaurava army (tava sainyam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and practical fallout of unrighteous warfare: when power is used in service of adharma, it invites decisive ruin. It also points to the ideal of disciplined kṣatriya action—force employed with purpose and legitimacy can overturn even vast armies.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna (called Kirīṭin, “the diadem-wearer”) has devastated the Kaurava forces—crushing, burning, and scattering them—signaling a severe reversal for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s side in the battle.