Shloka 16

Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

रथे रथे पञज्च विदीपकास्तु प्रदीपकास्तत्र गजे त्रयक्ष,एक-एक रथके पास पाँच-पाँच मशालें थीं। प्रत्येक हाथीके साथ तीन-तीन प्रदीप जलते थे। प्रत्येक घोड़ेके साथ एक महाप्रदीपकी व्यवस्था की गयी थी। पाण्डवों तथा कौरवोंके द्वारा इस प्रकार व्यवस्थापूर्वक जलाये गये समस्त प्रदीप क्षणभरमें आपकी सारी सेनाको प्रकाशित करने लगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | rathe rathe pañca pradīpakās tu pradīpakās tatra gaje trayakṣa |

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Pada setiap kereta perang, lima obor didirikan dan dibiarkan menyala; pada setiap gajah, tiga pelita besar disusun. Bagi setiap kuda, satu pelita yang kuat disediakan. Demikianlah, pelita-pelita yang dinyalakan dengan teratur oleh pihak Pāṇḍava dan Kaurava segera menerangi seluruh bala tentera tuanku.”

Word by Word

रथेin/on the chariot

रथेin/on the chariot (each chariot)

पञ्चfive

विदीपकाःlamps/torches (kind of lights)

तुbut/indeed

प्रदीपकाःlamps/illuminators

तत्रthere

गजेon/in the elephant

त्रयःthree

अक्षाःaxles/eyes (context unclear due to corrupt reading)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by ‘your army’)

Pāṇḍavas

Kauravas

chariots

elephants

horses

torches/lamps (pradīpa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, disciplined arrangement and clarity of perception matter: the passage highlights organized preparedness—making the battlefield visible—so actions are not driven purely by confusion or darkness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes how both sides arranged torches and lamps on chariots, elephants, and horses so that the armies could see in the darkness; the combined lights quickly illuminated Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s entire host.