Shloka 8

Droṇa’s Renewed Advance toward Yudhiṣṭhira; Fall of Satyajit and Allied Recoil (द्रोणस्य युधिष्ठिरप्रेप्सा—सत्यजितः पतनम्)

Devanagari script

गजाश्वरथपत्त्योघास्तस्थु: परमदंशिता: । भूतशर्मा, क्षेमशर्मा, पराक्रमी करकाश, कलिंग, सिंहल, पूर्वदिशाके सैनिक, शूर आभीरगण, दाशेरकगण, शक, यवन, काम्बोज, शूरसेन, दरद, मद्र, केकय तथा हंसपथ नामवाले देशोंके निवासी शूरवीर एवं हाथीसवार, घुड़सवार, रथी और पैदल सैनिकोंके समूह उत्तम कवच धारण करके उस गरुड़के ग्रीवाभागमें खड़े थे ।। भूरिश्रवास्तथा शल्य: सोमदत्तश्न बाह्विक:

Transliteration

gajāśvarathapattīyoghās tasthuḥ paramadaṃśitāḥ | bhūtaśarmā kṣemaśarmā parākrāmī karakāśaḥ kaliṅgāḥ siṃhalāḥ pūrvadiśākāḥ sainikāḥ śūrā ābhīragaṇā dāśerakagaṇāḥ śakā yavanāḥ kāmbojāḥ śūrasenā daradā madrāḥ kekayāḥ tathā haṃsapatha-nāmavāle deśānivāsinaḥ śūrā vīrā gajārūḍhā aśvārūḍhā rathinaḥ pattayaś ca uttamakavacaṃ dhṛtvā tasya garuḍasya grīvābhāge tiṣṭhanti || bhūriśravās tathā śalyaḥ somadattaś ca bāhlīkaḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຈະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຝູງໃຫຍ່ຂອງຜູ້ຂີ່ຊ້າງ, ຜູ້ຂີ່ມ້າ, ນັກຮົບລົດສຶກ, ແລະທະຫານລາບ—ດຸຮ້າຍ ແລະຝຶກຝົນຢ່າງສູງ—ໄດ້ເຂົ້າປະຈຳຕຳແໜ່ງ. ພູຕະຊະຣະມາ ແລະ ກເສມະຊະຣະມາ, ກະຣະກາຊະຜູ້ກ້າຫານ, ພ້ອມທັງນັກຮົບຈາກ ກະລິງກະ ແລະ ສິງຫະລະ, ກອງທັບຈາກພາກຕາເວັນອອກ, ແລະຫມູ່ອາພີຣະ ແລະ ດາເຊຣະກະ; ຊາກະ, ຢະວະນະ, ກາມໂບຊະ, ຊູຣະເສນະ, ດະຣະດະ, ມັດຣະ, ເກກະຍະ, ແລະວີຣະຊົນຈາກແດນທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ຫັມສະປະຖະ—ທຸກຄົນສວມເກາະອັນດີເລີດ—ໄດ້ຢືນປະຈຳຢູ່ບ່ອນຄໍຂອງຮູບຂະບວນ ‘ກະຣຸດ’ ນັ້ນ. ທີ່ນັ້ນຍັງມີ ພູຣີຊຣະວາ, ຊັລຍະ, ໂສມະດັດຕະ, ແລະ ບາຫລີກະ».

Word by Word

गजelephant

अश्वhorse

रथchariot

पत्तिfoot-soldier

ओघाःmasses, multitudes

तस्थुःstood

परमsupreme, exceedingly

दंशिताःarmoured, equipped (with mail/armour)

भूतशर्माBhūtaśarmā (proper name)

क्षेमशर्माKṣemaśarmā (proper name)

पराक्रमीvaliant, mighty

करकाशKarakāśa (proper name/tribal name as given)

कलिंगKaliṅga (person/people of Kaliṅga)

सिंहलSiṃhala (person/people of Siṃhala)

पूर्वeastern

दिशाdirection

सैनिकsoldiers

शूरheroic

आभीरĀbhīras (a people)

गणgroups, troops

दाशेरकDāśerakas (a people)

गणgroups, troops

शकŚakas (Scythians)

यवनYavanas (Greeks/foreigners)

काम्बोजKāmbojas (a people)

शूरसेनŚūrasenas (a people)

दरदDaradas (a people)

मद्रMadras (a people)

केकयKekayas (a people)

तथाand also

हंसपथof Haṃsapatha (country/region name)

नामname

वत्having, possessing (suffix-like)

देशof the countries

निवासिनःinhabitants

शूरवीराःheroic warriors

चand

हस्तिelephant(-troops)/elephants

सवाराःriders, mounted men

घोड़ाhorses/horsemen (non-classical form in given text)

सवाराःriders, mounted men

रथिनःchariot-warriors

पदातयःfoot-soldiers

समूहाःgroups, masses

उत्तमexcellent

कवचarmour

धारणwearing, bearing

कृत्वाhaving done

तस्यof that

गरुडस्यof Garuḍa

ग्रीवाin the neck

भागेin the region/part

स्थिताःstanding, stationed

भूरिश्रवाःBhūriśravā (proper name)

तथाand also

शल्यःŚalya (proper name)

सोमदत्तःSomadatta (proper name)

चand

बाह्विकःBāhvika (proper name)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhūtaśarmā

Kṣemaśarmā

Karakāśa

Kaliṅga

Siṃhala

Pūrvadiśā (eastern regions)

Ābhīras

Dāśerakas

Śakas

Yavanas

Kāmbojas

Śūrasenas

Daradas

Madras

Kekayas

Haṃsapatha

Garuḍa-vyūha (Garuḍa formation)

Bhūriśravā

Śalya

Somadatta

Bāhlīka

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 disciplined organization and collective responsibility in war: diverse allies, properly equipped and positioned, act within a structured formation. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—martial excellence and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can be pursued with order and courage, yet remain morally weighty because they serve destructive ends.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the deployment of Kaurava-aligned forces within a Garuḍa-shaped battle formation. He lists prominent warriors and regional contingents and specifies their placement at the ‘neck’ of the formation, indicating tactical arrangement before or during the day’s fighting.