Shloka 66

Devanagari script

रथाग्न्यगारशक्षापार्चिरसिशक्तिगदेन्धन: । शरसंघमहाज्वाल: क्षत्रियान्‌ समरेडदहत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rathāgnyagāraśaṣkāpārcirasiśaktigadendhanaḥ |

śarasaṅghamahājvālaḥ kṣatriyān samare ’dahat ||

Translation

ਸਮਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਾਨੋ ਅੱਗ ਭੜਕ ਉੱਠੀ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਕਸ਼ਤਰੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਾੜ ਰਹੀ ਹੋਵੇ। ਰਥ ਅੱਗ ਦੇ ਘਰਾਂ ਵਰਗੇ, ਧਨੁਸ਼ ਲਪਟਾਂ ਵਰਗੇ ਦਿਸਦੇ ਸਨ; ਤਲਵਾਰਾਂ, ਭਾਲੇ ਅਤੇ ਗਦਾਵਾਂ ਇੰਧਨ ਬਣ ਗਈਆਂ; ਅਤੇ ਬਾਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਝੁੰਡ ਹੀ ਉਸ ਅੱਗ ਦੀ ਮਹਾ-ਜਵਾਲਾ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• रथ: chariot
• रथ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्नि: fire
• अग्नि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अगार: house, chamber
• अगार: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगार
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शर: arrow
• शर: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्ष: syllable/phoneme 'kṣa' (likely corrupt segmentation)
• क्ष: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपार्चिरसि: unclear (text appears corrupt)
• अपार्चिरसि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपार्चिरसि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शक्ति: spear, javelin
• शक्ति: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गदा: mace
• गदा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इन्धनः: fuel
• इन्धनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्धन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शर: arrow
• शर: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संघ: multitude, mass
• संघ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाज्वालः: great flame
• महाज्वालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाज्वाला
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियान्: Kshatriyas, warriors
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ददहत्: burned, scorched
• ददहत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• kṣatriyas
• chariot (ratha)
• bow (implied by flame-tongue imagery)
• sword (asi)
• spear (śakti)
• mace (gadā)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how warfare, even when framed within kṣatriya-duty, becomes a consuming force like fire—highlighting the ethical tension between prescribed martial duty and the catastrophic suffering it unleashes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield with an extended fire-metaphor: chariots appear as fire-halls, weapons as fuel, and volleys of arrows as towering flames, conveying the intensity and lethal momentum of the combat.