Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कामवर्णजवैरश्वैरबहुभि: संवृतो नूप । ते हया: काञठ्चनापीडा नानावर्णा मनोजवा:,नरेश्वर! इरावानके साथ इच्छानुसार रूप-रंग और वेगवाले बहुत-से घोड़े मौजूद थे। वे सब-के-सब सोनेके शिरोभूषण धारण करनेवाले तथा मनके समान वेगशाली थे। उनके रंग अनेक प्रकारके थे

Transliteration

kāmavarṇajavair aśvair bahubhiḥ saṃvṛto nṛpa | te hayāḥ kāñcanāpīḍā nānāvarṇā manojavāḥ naraśreṣṭha ||

Translation

നരേശ്വരാ! ഇരാവാനെ ചുറ്റി ഇഷ്ടാനുസൃതമായ വർണ്ണവും വേഗവും ഉള്ള അനേകം കുതിരകൾ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അവയെല്ലാം സ്വർണ്ണശിരോഭൂഷണധാരികളായി, മനസ്സുപോലെ വേഗവാന്മാരായി, നാനാവർണ്ണങ്ങളിൽ ദീപ്തമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

कामdesire; as wished

वर्णcolor

जवspeed

एःby these

अश्वैःwith horses

बहुभिःby many

संवृतःsurrounded; enclosed

नूपO Nūpa (address)

तेthose

हयाःhorses

काञ्चनgolden; gold

आपीडाःhaving head-ornaments/crests

नानाvarious; many kinds of

वर्णाःof various colors

मनोजवाःswift as the mind

नरेश्वरO lord of men (king)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

nṛpa (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)

Irāvān (from the provided Hindi gloss)

horses (aśvāḥ/hayāḥ)

golden head-ornaments (kāñcanāpīḍāḥ)

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 primarily paints a narrative image rather than stating a direct moral: the abundance, variety, and disciplined readiness of royal resources (swift, well-adorned horses) underscore how power and preparation are marshaled for war—hinting that external splendor serves the larger, ethically fraught arena of dharma and conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to the king a warrior (contextually connected with Irāvān in the given gloss) being attended by many excellent horses—of desired colors and speeds—adorned with golden head-gear and moving with mind-like swiftness, emphasizing the grandeur and readiness of the forces on the battlefield.