Shloka 3
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
Devanagari script
अनाथा नाथमिच्छन्तो मृगा: सिंहार्दिता इव
Transliteration
anāthā nātham icchanto mṛgāḥ siṁhārditā iva
Translation
Sañjaya said: Like deer mauled by a lion, left helpless and without refuge, they longed for a protector—seeking a lord to shelter and lead them amid the terror of battle.
Word by Word
अनाथाःhelpless, without a protector
अनाथाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअनाथ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नाथम्a protector, lord
नाथम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनाथ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
इच्छन्तःdesiring, seeking
इच्छन्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootइष् (इच्छ्)
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
मृगाःdeer, wild animals
मृगाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमृग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सिंह-अर्दिताःtormented/attacked by a lion
सिंह-अर्दिताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसिंह-अर्दित
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
इवlike, as if
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SanjayaD
deer (mṛga)L
lion (siṁha)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
In crisis, a community without guidance becomes vulnerable like prey; the verse underscores the ethical need for responsible leadership and the human impulse to seek refuge when fear and disorder prevail.
Sanjaya describes warriors or groups in the battlefield context as shaken and defenseless, comparing them to deer wounded by a lion—conveying panic, disarray, and the urgent search for a protector or commander.