Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

पताकाध्वजसंछन्नं पदातीनां महद्‌ बलम्‌

Transliteration

patākādhvajasaṃchannaṃ padātīnāṃ mahad balam

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പതാകകളും ധ്വജങ്ങളും മൂടിനിന്ന പാദാതികളുടെ മഹാബലം (കാഴ്ചയിൽപ്പെട്ടു)।

Word by Word

• पताका-ध्वज-संछन्नम्: covered with banners and flags
• पताका-ध्वज-संछन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पताका-ध्वज-संछन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पदातीनाम्: of the foot-soldiers
• पदातीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• banners (patākā)
• standards (dhvaja)
• infantry (padātin)
• army/force (balam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how war’s grandeur—banners and standards—can mask the reality of countless individuals drawn into violence. It invites reflection on the ethical burden of mass conflict, where spectacle and identity-markers often overshadow human cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya is describing the battlefield scene: a large body of infantry appears, visually dominated by flags and standards, indicating an organized and formidable military presence.