Shloka 54

Devanagari script

रथनेमिनिकृत्तैश्न गजैश्वैवावपोथितै: । पादाताक्षाप्यधावन्त साश्षराश्ष हययोधिन:,उनमेंसे कितने ही रथोंके पहियोंसे कट गये थे और कितनोंहीको हाथियोंने अपनी सूँड्रोंस पकड़कर धरतीपर दे मारा था एवं कितने ही पैदल सैनिक तथा अपने अश्वोंसहित घुड़सवार योद्धा वहाँसे भाग गये थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | rathanemi-nikṛttaiś ca gajaiś caivāvapothitaiḥ | pādātāś cāpy adhāvanta saśastrāś ca hayayodhinaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: Muchos fueron segados por los bordes de las ruedas de los carros, y muchos fueron apresados y arrojados al suelo por los elefantes. Los soldados de a pie también huyeron presa del pánico, y los jinetes—todavía armados y con sus monturas—corrieron asimismo de aquel lugar. El verso subraya que, cuando el miedo vence a la disciplina, el orden de batalla se derrumba y la violencia se vuelve indiscriminada, arrasando incluso a los preparados y armados.

Word by Word

रथनेमिनिकृत्तैःcut off by the rims of chariot-wheels

गजैःby elephants

अश्वैःby horses

एवindeed/also

अपपोथितैःthrown down/overthrown

पादाताःfoot-soldiers

चand

अक्षाःaxles (i.e., chariots with axles broken/axle-men); contextually: chariot-warriors

अपिalso/even

अधावन्तran away/fled

सwith

अश्वwith (their) horse

रथाःchariots/chariot-warriors

हययोधिनःhorse-fighters; cavalry warriors

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

chariot wheels (ratha-nemi)

elephants (gaja)

infantry (pādāta)

cavalry/horsemen (hayayodhinaḥ)

weapons (śastra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral and practical breakdown that occurs when fear overtakes discipline in war: even armed warriors abandon their station, and violence becomes uncontrolled, harming many without discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fierce moment in the battle where some fighters are cut down by chariot wheels, others are grabbed and slammed down by elephants, and many infantry and cavalry—though still armed—flee the scene.