Shloka 3

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

अनाथा नाथमिच्छन्तो मृगा: सिंहार्दिता इव

Transliteration

anāthā nātham icchanto mṛgāḥ siṁhārditā iva

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: «ເຫມືອນຝູງກວາງທີ່ຖືກສິງໂຕຂົ່ມຂີ້ ຖືກປະທຸກທຳ ແລະຖືກປະລະໄວ້ຢ່າງອ່ອນແອ ບໍ່ມີທີ່ພຶ່ງ; ພວກເຂົາປາຖະໜາຜູ້ຄຸ້ມຄອງ—ຊອກຫາເຈົ້ານາຍເພື່ອໃຫ້ທີ່ພັກພິງ ແລະນຳພາທ່າມກາງຄວາມຫວາດກົວໃນສົງຄາມ».

Word by Word

• अनाथाः: helpless, without a protector
• अनाथाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नाथम्: a protector, lord
• नाथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छन्तः: desiring, seeking
• इच्छन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मृगाः: deer, wild animals
• मृगाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सिंह-अर्दिताः: tormented/attacked by a lion
• सिंह-अर्दिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह-अर्दित
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• deer (mṛga)
• lion (siṁha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In crisis, a community without guidance becomes vulnerable like prey; the verse underscores the ethical need for responsible leadership and the human impulse to seek refuge when fear and disorder prevail.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes warriors or groups in the battlefield context as shaken and defenseless, comparing them to deer wounded by a lion—conveying panic, disarray, and the urgent search for a protector or commander.