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Shloka 74

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

आटरूषकवर्णाभा हया: पाण्ड्यानुयायिनाम्‌ | अवहन्‌ रथमुख्यानामयुतानि चतुर्दश,वासक-पुष्पोंके समान रंगवाले घोड़े राजा पाण्ड्यके पीछे चलनेवाले एक लाख चालीस हजार श्रेष्ठ रथोंका भार वहन कर रहे थे

sañjaya uvāca | āṭarūṣaka-varṇābhā hayāḥ pāṇḍyānuyāyinām | avahan ratha-mukhyānām ayutāni caturdaśa ||

サンジャヤは言った。āṭarūṣaka の花の色にきらめく馬たちは、パーンディヤ王(Pāṇḍya)の行列に従い、最上の戦車十四アユタ(十四万)の重荷を担って進んだ。この描写は、戦場へ向かう軍勢の途方もない規模と、厳然たる統制を際立たせている。

आटरूषकवर्णाभाःhaving the hue like āṭarūṣaka-flowers
आटरूषकवर्णाभाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआटरूषक-वर्ण-आभा
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
हयाःhorses
हयाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootहय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पाण्ड्यानुयायिनाम्of the followers of (king) Pāṇḍya
पाण्ड्यानुयायिनाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्ड्य-अनुयायिन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
अवहन्carried/bore
अवहन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवह्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural
रथमुख्यानाम्of the foremost chariots
रथमुख्यानाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरथ-मुख्य
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
अयुतानिtens of thousands (ayutas)
अयुतानि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअयुत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
चतुर्दशfourteen
चतुर्दश:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्दश
Formtrue

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
P
Pāṇḍya (king)
H
horses (hayāḥ)
C
chariots (rathāḥ)

Educational Q&A

The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights the immense scale of the war-host and the disciplined logistics that sustain it, implicitly reminding the listener that great power and splendor are still harnessed to the grim work of battle and its moral consequences.

Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍya king’s contingent is advancing with horses of a blossom-like hue, and these horses are drawing an enormous number of excellent chariots—fourteen ayutas—emphasizing the magnitude of the forces on the field.