Shloka 9

Devanagari script

विस््रस्तयन्त्रकवचा: कांदिग्भूता विचेतस: । अन्योन्यमवमृदनन्तो वीक्षमाणा भयार्दिता:,उनके यन्त्र और कवच गिर गये थे। वे अचेत होकर यह भी नहीं सोच पाते थे कि हम भागकर किस दिशामें जायँ? एक-दूसरेको कुचलते और चारों ओर देखते हुए भयसे पीड़ित हो गये थे

Transliteration

visrastayantrakavacāḥ kāndigbhūtā vicetasaḥ | anyonyamavamṛdnanto vīkṣamāṇā bhayārditāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Their war-engines and armor had fallen away. Bewildered and senseless, they could not even decide in which direction to flee. Crushing one another in their panic and looking about on every side, they were overwhelmed by fear—showing how, in the press of battle, courage collapses when order and self-control are lost.

Word by Word

विस्रस्त-यन्त्र-कवचाःwhose machines/weapons and armours had fallen off

कांदिग्भूताःbewildered about the directions (not knowing which way)

विचेतसःsenseless, unconscious

अन्योन्यम्one another (mutually)

अवमृदनन्तःtrampling/crushing (others)

वीक्षमाणाःlooking around

भय-आर्दिताःafflicted by fear

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

yantra (war equipment)

kavaca (armor)

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

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.