Shloka 21

Devanagari script

हताश्वा हतसूताश्च निश्चेष्टा रथिनो हता:

Transliteration

hatāśvā hatasūtāś ca niśceṣṭā rathino hatāḥ

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。「馬は討たれ、御者も討たれ、戦車の戦士たちは打ち倒されて、身動きもせず横たわっていた。」

Word by Word

• हताश्वाः: those whose horses are slain
• हताश्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हताश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हतसूताः: those whose charioteers are slain
• हतसूताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हतसूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निश्चेष्टाः: motionless, inert
• निश्चेष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चेष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हताः: slain
• हताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• horses (aśva)
• charioteers (sūta)
• chariot-warriors (rathin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how quickly power collapses in war: when the supporting elements of a warrior’s role (horses and charioteer) are destroyed, even renowned fighters become helpless. Ethically, it points to the dehumanizing momentum of battle and the heavy cost borne by all ranks, not only the famed heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield aftermath: chariots are disabled because horses and charioteers have been killed, and the chariot-warriors themselves lie slain or inert, indicating a severe rout or a devastating phase of combat.