Shloka 61

वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च

The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel

Devanagari script

अष्टचक्रसमायुक्तमास्थाय विपुलं रथम्‌ | शूलमुद्गरधारिण्या शैलपादपहस्तया

Transliteration

aṣṭacakrasamāyuktam āsthāya vipulaṁ ratham | śūlamudgaradhāriṇyā śailapādapahastayā

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಎಂಟು ಚಕ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ಯುಕ್ತವಾದ ವಿಶಾಲ ರಥವನ್ನು ಏರಿ ಅವಳು ಮುಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಗಿದಳು. ಅವಳ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶೂಲ ಮತ್ತು ಮುದ್ಗರ; ಅವಳ ಪಾದಗಳು ಶೈಲಶಿಖರಗಳಂತೆ, ಕೈಗಳು ಕಲ್ಲಿನಂತೆ ಪ್ರಹಾರ ಮಾಡುವವು.

Word by Word

अष्टचक्रसमायुक्तम्furnished with eight wheels

आस्थायhaving mounted/ascended

विपुलम्large, vast

रथम्chariot

शूलमुद्गरधारिण्याby/with (her) who bears a spear and a mace

शैलपादपहस्तयाby/with (her) whose hands are like mountain-trees

Speaker

सयजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

eight-wheeled chariot (aṣṭacakra-ratha)

śūla (spear)

mudgara (mace)

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 underscores how war magnifies encounters with overwhelming force; the ethical challenge is to maintain courage and discernment without losing one’s grounding in dharma, even when faced with terrifying, dehumanizing violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a formidable female figure (unnamed in this half-verse) mounting a huge eight-wheeled chariot, armed with spear and mace, portrayed with rock-like feet and crushing hands—an intensification of the battle’s dread and grandeur.