Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तैराहतास्ते शरशक्तिशूलै- गदाभिरुग्रै: परिचैश्व दीप्तै: । वजै: पिनाकैरशनिप्रहारै: शतध्निचक्रैर्मथिताश्व पेतु:,उन निशाचरोंके बरसाये हुए बाण, शक्ति, शूल, गदा, उग्र प्रज्वलित परिघ, वद्र, पिनाक, बिजली, शतघ्नी और चक्र आदि अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके प्रहारोंसे रौंदे गये कौरव-योद्धा मर-मरकर पृथ्वीपर गिरने लगे

Transliteration

tair āhatās te śaraśaktiśūlaiḥ gadābhir ugraiḥ parighaiś ca dīptaiḥ | vajraiḥ pinākair aśaniprahāraiḥ śatadhnīcakrair mathitāś ca petuḥ ||

Translation

ಆ ನಿಶಾಚರರು ಸುರಿಸಿದ ಬಾಣ, ಶಕ್ತಿ, ಶೂಲ, ಉಗ್ರ ಗದೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ದೀಪ್ತ ಪರಿಘಗಳು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ವಜ್ರ, ಪಿನಾಕ, ಮಿಂಚಿನಂತೆ ಹೊಡೆತಗಳು, ಶತಘ್ನಿ ಮತ್ತು ಚಕ್ರಗಳ ಆಘಾತಗಳಿಂದ ನುಚ್ಚುನೂರಾದ ಕೌರವ ಯೋಧರು ಒಬ್ಬೊಬ್ಬರಾಗಿ ಸಾಯುತ್ತಾ ಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಬೀಳತೊಡಗಿದರು।

Word by Word

तैःby them

आहताःstruck, smitten

तेthey (those)

शर-शक्ति-शूलैःwith arrows, spears, and tridents

गदाभिःwith maces

उग्रैःfierce

परिचैःwith iron clubs/bars (parighas)

चand

दीप्तैःblazing, shining

वज्रैःwith thunderbolts/adamantine weapons

पिनाकैःwith pināka-weapons (bows/arms named Pināka)

अशनि-प्रहारैःwith lightning-like blows

शतध्नि-चक्रैःwith śataghni missiles and discus-weapons

मथिताःcrushed, churned, battered

चand

पेतुःfell down

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

niśācara (night-rangers; rākṣasas)

Kaurava warriors

śara (arrows)

śakti (spears/javelins)

śūla (tridents/pikes)

gadā (maces)

parigha (iron clubs)

vajra (thunderbolt-like weapon)

pināka (Śiva’s bow/weapon-class)

aśani (lightning)

śatadhnī/śataghni (war-missile/engine)

cakra (discus)

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 the ethical gravity of warfare: once mass violence is set in motion, it indiscriminately crushes lives and reveals the fragility of human power. It implicitly warns that adharma-fueled conflict leads to widespread ruin, making the battlefield a lesson in impermanence and accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Kaurava fighters being overwhelmed by the night-rangers’ assault. A barrage of diverse weapons—arrows, spears, tridents, maces, blazing clubs, thunderbolt-like missiles, lightning-like strikes, śataghni projectiles, and discs—batters them until they collapse and die on the ground.