Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सनागप्त्त्यश्वरथे उभे बले विचित्रवर्माभरणाम्बरायुधे । चकम्पतुर्विस्मयनीयरूपे वियद्गताश्चार्जुनकर्णसंयुगे,विचित्र कवच, आभूषण, वस्त्र और आयुध धारण करनेवाली, हाथी, घोड़े, रथ और पैदलोंसहित उभय पक्षकी चतुरंगिणी सेनाएँ अर्जुन और कर्णके उस युद्धमें भयके कारण आश्चवर्यजनकरूपसे काँपने लगीं तथा आकाशवर्ती प्राणी भी भयसे थर्रा उठे

Transliteration

sanāgapattyaśvarathe ubhe bale vicitravarmābharaṇāmbarāyudhe | cakampatur vismayanīyarūpe viyadgatāś cārjunakarṇasaṃyuge ||

Translation

संजय म्हणाला—हत्ती, घोडे, रथ आणि पायदळ यांसह दोन्ही बाजूंच्या चतुरंगिणी सेना, विचित्र कवच-आभूषण-वस्त्रे व आयुधांनी सज्ज, अर्जुन-कर्णांच्या त्या अद्भुत द्वंद्वयुद्धात भय व विस्मयाने थरथर कापू लागल्या। आकाशात संचार करणारे प्राणीही त्या भयाने कंपित झाले।

Word by Word

सनागप्त्यश्वरथेin (the army consisting of) elephants, foot-soldiers, horses and chariots

उभेboth

बलेarmies/forces

विचित्रवर्माभरणाम्बरायुधेhaving variegated armor, ornaments, garments and weapons

चकम्पतुःtrembled

विस्मयनीयastonishing

रूपेin (that) form/appearance

वियत्in the sky

गताःgone; moving; situated

चand

अर्जुनकर्णसंयुगेin the combat between Arjuna and Karna

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna

Karṇa

both armies (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava forces)

elephants

horses

chariots

infantry

aerial beings (viyadgatāḥ)

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 highlights the overwhelming moral and martial gravity of a righteous yet tragic kṣatriya confrontation: when two foremost warriors clash, the fear and awe spread beyond individuals to entire armies and even the natural/cosmic order, underscoring the immense consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that as Arjuna and Karṇa engage in a fierce duel, both sides’ fourfold armies—splendidly equipped—begin to tremble in fear and amazement, and even beings in the sky are shaken by the intensity of the combat.