Shloka 17

Devanagari script

द्विरदानां सहस्नरेण द्विसाहसैश्व॒ वाजिभि: । शरवर्षाणि मुज्चन्तो विविधानि महारथा:

Transliteration

dviradānāṁ sahasreṇa dvisāhasaiś ca vājibhiḥ | śaravarṣāṇi muñcanto vividhāni mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: «Con mil elefantes y dos mil caballos, los grandes guerreros seguían soltando lluvias de flechas de muchas clases.»

Word by Word

• द्विरदानाम्: of elephants
• द्विरदानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विरद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• द्विसाहसैः: with two-thousand (in number)
• द्विसाहसैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विसाहस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वाजिभिः: with horses
• वाजिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शरवर्षाणि: showers of arrows
• शरवर्षाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• मुञ्चन्तः: releasing, discharging
• मुञ्चन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Present, Plural, Parasmaipada, Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• elephants
• horses
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the immense scale and intensity of war, highlighting how concentrated power and skill can unleash overwhelming destruction—inviting reflection on the ethical weight of martial force even when exercised by elite warriors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield scene where great chariot-warriors, supported by large numbers of elephants and horses, are continuously firing diverse volleys of arrows, intensifying the combat.