Shloka 40

Devanagari script

हाहाकृतं भृशं त्रस्तं लीयमानं परस्परम्‌ । अलातचक्रवत्‌ सैन्यं तदाभ्रमत तावकम्‌,महाराज! उस समय अत्यन्त भयभीत हो हाहाकार मचाती और एक-दूसरेकी आड़में छिपती हुई आपकी सेना अलातचक्रके समान वहाँ चक्कर काटने लगी

Transliteration

hāhākṛtaṁ bhṛśaṁ trastaṁ līyamānaṁ parasparam | alātacakravat sainyaṁ tadābhramata tāvakam, mahārāja ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「大王よ、その時、御軍は甚だしく恐れおののき、恐慌の叫びをあげ、互いに身を寄せて庇いを求め、戦場を火のついた松明が回転するかのようにぐるぐるとさまよった。恐怖の前に隊列も気概も崩れ去ったのである。」

Word by Word

हाहा-कृतम्made into a cry of ‘hā hā’; full of lamentation

भृशम्excessively, greatly

त्रस्तम्terrified

लीयमानम्hiding, taking shelter (being concealed)

परस्परम्mutually; among one another

अलात-चक्रवत्like a firebrand-wheel (a whirling torch)

सैन्यम्army

तदाthen, at that time

अभ्रमत्whirled, moved in circles

तावकम्your (belonging to you)

महा-राजO great king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (mahārāja)

Kaurava army (tāvaka sainya)

alātacakra (spinning firebrand image)

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 highlights how fear dissolves collective discipline: when courage and order fail, even a great host becomes directionless, ‘spinning’ without purpose. Ethically, it underscores the kṣatriya ideal that steadiness and self-control are crucial in war; panic leads to harm for one’s own side and accelerates defeat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces have become extremely frightened, crying out and trying to shield themselves behind one another. Their formations break, and they move in chaotic circles, compared to the fiery ring seen when a burning brand is rapidly whirled.