Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पादाताश्षाप्यदृश्यन्त निध्नन्तो5थ परस्परम्‌ | चित्ररूपधरा: शूरा नखरप्रासयोधिन:,बघनखों एवं प्रासोंद्वारा युद्ध करनेवाले शूरवीर पैदल सैनिक एक-दूसरेपर प्रहार करते हुए विचित्र रूपधारी दिखायी देते थे

Transliteration

pādātāś cāpy adṛśyanta nighnanto 'tha parasparam | citrarūpadharāḥ śūrā nakharaprāsayodhinaḥ ||

Translation

ಆಮೇಲೆ ಪಾದಾತಿಗಳೂ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಒಬ್ಬರನ್ನೊಬ್ಬರು ಕುಸಿಯಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರು—ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ರೂಪಧಾರಿಗಳಾದ ಶೂರರು, ನಖರಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳೂ ಪ್ರಾಸಗಳೂ ಹಿಡಿದು ಯುದ್ಧಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ।

Word by Word

पदातयःfoot-soldiers

अपिalso / even

अदृश्यन्तwere seen / appeared

निघ्नन्तःstriking / slaying

अथthen

परस्परम्each other / mutually

चित्ररूपधराःbearing wondrous/varied forms

शूराःheroes / brave men

नखरप्रासयोधिनःfighters using nails/claws and spears

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

pādātāḥ (infantry)

nakhara (claw-like weapons)

prāsa (spears)

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 is primarily descriptive, yet it implicitly highlights the moral gravity of war: in the crush of mutual killing, warriors become defined by weapons and roles, reminding the listener that dharma in battle is not abstract but enacted amid fear, courage, and harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the infantry are visibly engaged in close fighting, striking each other down; the fighters appear in varied forms and are armed with claw-like weapons and spears.