Shloka 70

वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च

The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel

Devanagari script

आयसानि च चक्राणि भुशुण्ड्य: प्रासतोमरा: । पतन्त्यविरता: शूला: शतघ्न्य: पट्टिशास्तथा,लोहेके चक्र, भुशुण्डी, प्रास, तोमर, शूल, शतघ्नी और पट्टिश आदि अस्त्र अविराम गतिसे गिरने लगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | āyasāni ca cakrāṇi bhuśuṇḍyaḥ prāsatomarāḥ | patanty aviratāḥ śūlāḥ śataghnyaḥ paṭṭiśās tathā ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。鉄の輪、重い投石、槍と投げ槍が絶え間なく降り注ぎ、さらに三叉戟、棍棒めいた飛び道具、戦斧までもが落ちてきた。その光景は、容赦なく、分け隔てのない戦の奔流を語る。人の決意は尽きぬ武器の嵐に呑まれ、暴力の倫理的代償があまりにも露わとなった。

Word by Word

आयसानिiron (weapons/things) / made of iron

चand

चक्राणिdiscus-weapons / wheels (as weapons)

भुशुण्ड्यःbhusuṇḍī (a kind of weapon)

प्रासतोमराःspears and javelins

पतन्तिfall

अविरताःunceasing, continuous

शूलाःpikes, tridents/spears

शतघ्न्यःśataghnī (a heavy missile/weapon)

पट्टिशाःbattle-axes / hatchets

तथाlikewise, also

Speaker

सयजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

iron wheels (cakra)

bhuśuṇḍī

prāsa (spear)

tomara (javelin)

śūla (trident/pike)

śataghnī

paṭṭiśa (battle-axe)

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 underscores the brutal, unceasing nature of battle: once violence is unleashed, it tends to escalate into an impersonal torrent that harms broadly. Ethically, it invites reflection on the grave consequences of war even when fought under the banner of duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where numerous kinds of weapons—iron discs/wheels, sling-missiles, spears, javelins, tridents, heavy clubs, and axes—are falling continuously, indicating an intense exchange of missiles and a peak of combat.