Shloka 5736

Devanagari script

हियमाणानपश्याम पज्चालानां रथव्रजान्‌ | माननीय नरेश! उस समय हमलोगोंने कितने ही रथियोंको ऐसी अवस्थामें देखा कि उनके रथके पहिये टूट गये हैं, ध्वजा, पताकाएँ छिन्न-भिन्न हो गयी हैं, घोड़े और सारथि मारे गये हैं और उन रथोंके धुरे भी खण्डित हो गये हैं। उस अवस्थामें समूह-के-समूह पांचाल महारथी हमें भागते दिखायी दिये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

hīyamānān apaśyāma pāñcālānāṁ rathavrajān |

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಮಾನ್ಯ ನರೇಶನೇ! ಆ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಪಾಂಚಾಲರ ರಥಸಮೂಹಗಳು ಕುಸಿದುಹೋಗುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡೆವು. ಅನೇಕ ರಥಿಗಳು—ರಥಚಕ್ರಗಳು ಮುರಿದು, ಧ್ವಜಪತಾಕೆಗಳು ಚಿಂದಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಕುದುರೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಸಾರಥಿಗಳು ಹತರಾಗಿ, ಧುರಗಳೂ ಮುರಿದ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ—ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರು; ಆ ದಶೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಂಚಾಲ ಮಹಾರಥಿಗಳ ಗುಂಪುಗಳು ನಮಗೆ ಓಡಿ ಹಿಂತಿರುಗುತ್ತಿರುವಂತೆ ಕಂಡವು।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'hīyamānān', 'definition': 'being diminished, declining, falling into ruin

• losing strength and order'}, {'term': 'apaśyāma', 'definition': "we saw (1st person plural imperfect of √paś, 'to see')"}, {'term': 'pāñcālānām', 'definition': 'of the Pañcālas (a people/kingdom allied with the Pāṇḍavas)'}, {'term': 'rathavrajān', 'definition': 'troops/companies (vraja) of chariots (ratha)

• chariot formations'}, {'term': 'rathin', 'definition': 'a chariot-warrior

• one who fights from a chariot'}, {'term': 'cakra', 'definition': 'wheel (of a chariot)'}, {'term': 'dhvaja', 'definition': 'banner, standard'}, {'term': 'patākā', 'definition': 'pennon, flag'}, {'term': 'sārathi', 'definition': 'charioteer'}, {'term': 'aśva', 'definition': 'horse'}, {'term': 'dhur', 'definition': 'yoke/axle-beam

• by extension the axle or supporting timber of the chariot'}, {'term': 'mahārathi', 'definition': 'great chariot-warrior

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'O king')
• Pañcālas
• chariots (ratha)
• chariot-warriors (rathin)
• wheels (cakra)
• banners/standards (dhvaja)
• pennons/flags (patākā)
• horses (aśva)
• charioteers (sārathi)
• axles/yokes (dhur)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage underscores the fragility of martial glory: even elite warriors and proud formations collapse when the supports of action—equipment, coordination, and morale—are destroyed. Ethically, it highlights how war reduces status to vulnerability and turns celebrated power into suffering and flight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pañcāla chariot divisions are being broken: wheels and axles are shattered, banners torn, horses and charioteers killed, and many Pañcāla mahārathas are seen fleeing in groups amid the battlefield chaos.