Shloka 38

Devanagari script

नराश्वरथमातज़ा युधि गाण्डीवधन्चना । शयव्रातैश्वषिता रेजु: कदम्बा इव केसरै:,युद्धसस्‍्थलमें गाण्डीवधारी अर्जुनके बाणोंसे छिदे हुए मनुष्य, घोड़े, रथ और हाथी केसरयुक्त कदम्बपुष्पोंके समान सुशोभित हो रहे थे

Transliteration

narāśvarathamātaṅgā yudhi gāṇḍīvadhanvanā | śaravrātaiś chaviṣitā rejūḥ kadambā iva kesaraiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: On the battlefield, men, horses, chariots, and elephants—pierced through by volleys of arrows from Arjuna, the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva—appeared strikingly adorned, like kadamba blossoms bright with their stamens. The verse underscores the grim aesthetic of war: martial excellence can make even devastation look ‘ornamented,’ reminding the listener that brilliance in combat does not erase the ethical weight of slaughter.

Word by Word

• नर: men
• नर: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्व: horses
• अश्व: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथ: chariots
• रथ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मातङ्गाः: elephants
• मातङ्गाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: युध्
• Form: Locative adverb (from noun yudh- 'battle')

• गाण्डीवधन्वना: by the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow (Arjuna)
• गाण्डीवधन्वना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शरव्रातैः: by volleys/masses of arrows
• शरव्रातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरव्रात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वेष्टिताः: wrapped/covered (with)
• वेष्टिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्टित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त), from √वेष्ट्

• रेजुः: shone, appeared splendid
• रेजुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √राज्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• कदम्बाः: kadamba trees/flowers
• कदम्बाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदम्ब
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: Particle of comparison

• केसरैः: with filaments (stamens)
• केसरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• battlefield
• men (warriors)
• horses
• chariots
• elephants
• arrows
• kadamba flowers