Shloka 18
कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna
Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying
Devanagari script
केचिदभ्याहता नागैर्नागा नगनिभोपमा: । विनेशु: समरे तस्मिन् पक्षवन्त इवाद्रय:,उस संग्राममें पर्वतोंके समान प्रतीत होनेवाले कितने ही हाथी हाथियोंसे घायल हो पंखधारी शैलसमूहोंके समान नष्ट हो गये
Transliteration
sañjaya uvāca | kecid abhyāhatā nāgair nāgā naganibhopamāḥ | vineśuḥ samare tasmin pakṣavanta ivādrayaḥ ||
Translation
Sanjaya said: In that battle, many elephants—huge as mountains—were struck down by other elephants and perished, like winged mountains brought to ruin. The scene underscores the war’s relentless reciprocity: even the mightiest fall when violence answers violence.
Word by Word
केचित्some (persons/things)
केचित्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootक- (प्रातिपदिक; किम्-शब्द)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अभ्याहताःstruck, wounded
अभ्याहताः:
TypeAdjective
Rootअभि-आ-हन् (धातु: हन्) → अभ्याहत (कृदन्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नागैःby elephants
नागैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
नागाःelephants
नागाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नगनिभोपमाःhaving a likeness comparable to mountains; mountain-like
नगनिभोपमाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनग-निभ-उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
विनेशुःperished, were destroyed
विनेशुः:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-नश् (धातु: नश्)
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural
समरेin battle
समरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमर
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
तस्मिन्in that
तस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
पक्षवन्तःwinged
पक्षवन्तः:
TypeAdjective
Rootपक्षवत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
इवlike, as if
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
अद्रयःmountains
अद्रयः:
TypeNoun
Rootअद्रि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SanjayaE
elephants (nāga)Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Geographic Context
Sandhi Notes