Shloka 36
Devanagari script
द्रवतां सादिनां चैव गजानां च विशाम्पते
Transliteration
dravatāṁ sādināṁ caiva gajānāṁ ca viśāmpate
Translation
Sañjaya said: “O lord of the people, there were also the horsemen in flight, and the elephants as well.”
Word by Word
द्रवताम्of the running (ones)
द्रवताम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootद्रवत् (√द्रु)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
सादिनाम्of the riders (horsemen)
सादिनाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसादिन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
गजानाम्of the elephants
गजानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootगज
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
विशाम्पतेO lord of the people
विशाम्पते:
TypeNoun
Rootविशाम्पति (विश् + अम् + पति)
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaD
Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by the address viśāmpate)H
horsemen (sādinaḥ)E
elephants (gajāḥ)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
The verse underscores the moral and strategic cost of panic in war: when discipline collapses, even elite arms—cavalry and elephants—can be driven into flight, reminding rulers that outcomes depend not only on strength but on steadiness, command, and adherence to kṣatriya resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battlefield has turned disorderly: mounted warriors and elephants are seen fleeing, indicating a rout or sudden reversal where troops lose cohesion and retreat.