Shloka 99

Devanagari script

साश्वसूतध्वजं यान भस्म कृत्वा महाप्रभा । विवेश वसुधां भिन्त्वा सुरास्तत्र विसिस्मियु:,वह अतिशय प्रभापूर्ण अशनि घोड़े, सारथि और ध्वजसहित घटोत्कचके रथको भस्म करके धरती फाड़कर समा गयी। यह देख वहाँ खड़े हुए सब देवता आश्वर्यवकित हो उठे

Transliteration

saśvasūtadhvajaṃ yānaṃ bhasma kṛtvā mahāprabhā | viveśa vasudhāṃ bhittvā surās tatra visismiyuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Le trait d’une splendeur excessive réduisit en cendres le char de Ghaṭotkaca—avec ses chevaux, son cocher et son étendard—puis, fendant la terre, il disparut dans le sol. À cette vue, les dieux qui se tenaient là furent saisis d’étonnement.

Word by Word

साश्वसूतध्वजम्together with horses, charioteer, and banner

यानम्the vehicle/chariot

भस्मashes

कृत्वाhaving made (into)

महाप्रभाthe great-lustrous one (the missile/bolt)

विवेशentered

वसुधाम्the earth

भित्त्वाhaving split/pierced

सुराःthe gods

तत्रthere

विसिस्मियुःwere astonished/marvelled

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Ghaṭotkaca

chariot (ratha/yāna)

horses (aśva)

charioteer (sūta)

banner/standard (dhvaja)

earth (vasudhā)

gods (surāḥ)

missile/weapon (aśani, implied by context)

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 catastrophic potency of divinely empowered weapons and invites reflection on the ethical burden of escalating violence in war—power that can obliterate even heroic forces also deepens the tragedy and moral complexity of the conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brilliantly radiant missile incinerates Ghaṭotkaca’s chariot along with its horses, charioteer, and banner, then vanishes by cleaving and entering the earth; the gods witnessing the event are astonished at its extraordinary force.