Shloka 553

Devanagari script

निर्मनुष्यान्‌ गजस्कन्धान्‌ पादातांश्वैव विद्रुतान्‌ । भारत! उसने रथकी बैठकें सूनी कर दीं, घोड़ोंकी पीठें खाली कर दीं, हाथियोंके पीठों और कंधोंपर कोई मनुष्य नहीं रहने दिये और पैदलोंको भी मार भगाया

Transliteration

nirmanuṣyān gajaskandhān pādātāṁś caiva vidrutān | bhārata!

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಹೇ ಭಾರತ! ಅವನು ರಥಾಸನಗಳನ್ನು ಶೂನ್ಯಗೊಳಿಸಿದನು, ಅಶ್ವಪೃಷ್ಠಗಳನ್ನು ಸವಾರರಹಿತವಾಗಿಸಿದನು, ಗಜಸ್ಕಂಧಗಳಿಂದ ಮನುಷ್ಯರನ್ನು ತೆರವುಗೊಳಿಸಿದನು ಮತ್ತು ಪಾದಾತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಸಹ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿ ಓಡಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• निर्मनुष्यान्: devoid of men, manless
• निर्मनुष्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मनुष्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गजस्कन्धान्: elephants' shoulders/backs (elephant-riders' seats)
• गजस्कन्धान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजस्कन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पादातान्: foot-soldiers, infantrymen
• पादातान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, also, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विद्रुतान्: fled, routed (having run away)
• विद्रुतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्रुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• elephants (gaja)
• infantry (pādāta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the immediate human cost and destabilizing force of war: when leadership and protection collapse, even organized units (chariots, cavalry, elephant corps, infantry) become empty or scattered. Ethically, it underscores how violence produces fear and disorder, not merely victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a powerful warrior’s assault has broken formations: chariots are left without occupants, horses and elephants are without riders, and the foot-soldiers have been driven into flight.