Shloka 18

शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement

Devanagari script

अनन्तकल्पा ध्वजिनी भूत्वा होषां महात्मनाम्‌ | क्षयमद्य गता युद्धे पश्य दैव॑ यथाविधम्‌

Transliteration

anantakalpā dhvajinī bhūtvā hoṣāṁ mahātmanām | kṣayam adya gatā yuddhe paśya daivaṁ yathāvidham ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「高き魂をもつクル族（カウラヴァ）も、かつては量り知れぬ大軍を有していた。だが今日、この戦においてそれは破滅へと追い込まれた。見よ、定められた道のままに働く運命が、いかにその戯れを現すかを。」

Word by Word

• अनन्तकल्पा: of endless magnitude / innumerable
• अनन्तकल्पा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ध्वजिनी: army
• ध्वजिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा, Parasmaipada (usage), Absolutive (Gerund)

• होषाम्: of these (people/ones) (contextual genitive)
• होषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: होषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled (men)
• महात्मनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• क्षयम्: destruction / end
• क्षयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अद्य: today / now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• गता: gone / reached
• गता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पश्य: see / behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दैवम्: fate / destiny
• दैवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as / how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विधम्: manner / way
• विधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kauravas
• dhvajinī (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even immense power and resources are fragile in the face of time, karma, and daiva (destiny); the verse invites reflection on impermanence and the moral weight of actions that culminate in ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kauravas’ once vast host has now been largely destroyed in the ongoing war, and he urges the king to recognize the working of destiny in these events.