Shloka 9

Devanagari script

विस््रस्तयन्त्रकवचा: कांदिग्भूता विचेतस: । अन्योन्यमवमृदनन्तो वीक्षमाणा भयार्दिता:

Transliteration

visrastayantrakavacāḥ kāndigbhūtā vicetasaḥ | anyonyamavamṛdnanto vīkṣamāṇā bhayārditāḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Sus máquinas de guerra y sus armaduras se les desprendieron. Aturdidos y fuera de sí, ni siquiera podían decidir hacia qué dirección huir. En su pánico se atropellaban unos a otros y miraban a todos lados, abrumados por el miedo.

Word by Word

• विस्रस्त-यन्त्र-कवचाः: whose machines/weapons and armours had fallen off
• विस्रस्त-यन्त्र-कवचाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्रस्त (वि+स्रस्, कृदन्त) + यन्त्र + कवच
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कांदिग्भूताः: bewildered about the directions (not knowing which way)
• कांदिग्भूताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क + आन् (कान्दि/कान्ति-प्रयोगः) + दिक् + भूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विचेतसः: senseless, unconscious
• विचेतसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अन्योन्यम्: one another (mutually)
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• अवमृदनन्तः: trampling/crushing (others)
• अवमृदनन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + मृद् (धातु) → अवमृद् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Present active participle (शतृ)

• वीक्षमाणाः: looking around
• वीक्षमाणाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ईक्ष् (धातु) → वीक्ष् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Present middle participle (शानच्)

• भय-आर्दिताः: afflicted by fear
• भय-आर्दिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + आर्दित (आर्द्/अर्द्, कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• yantra (war equipment)
• kavaca (armor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear and confusion in war strip people of judgment and restraint; when inner composure collapses, even basic orientation and humane conduct fail, leading to mutual harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes warriors in extreme panic: their equipment and armor have fallen off, they are disoriented about where to run, and in their frantic flight they trample one another while scanning all directions in fear.