Shloka 13

Devanagari script

त्रीणि सादिसहस््राणि दुर्योधनपुरोगमा: । शककाम्बोजबाह्लीका यवना: पारदास्तथा

Transliteration

trīṇi sādisahasrāṇi duryodhanapurogamāḥ | śakakāmbojabāhlīkā yavanāḥ pāradās tathā, abhyadravanta śaineyaṃ śalabhāḥ pāvakaṃ yathā |

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Liderados por Duryodhana, três mil guerreiros—juntamente com os Śakas, Kāmbojas, Bāhlīkas, Yavanas e Pāradas—investiram contra Śaineya (Sātyaki). Em sua ira, avançaram como mariposas que se lançam a um fogo ardente.

Word by Word

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• सादि: and so on; etc. (in counting)
• सादि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• दुर्योधन: of Duryodhana
• दुर्योधन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुरोगमाः: having (him) in front; led by
• पुरोगमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरोगम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शक: the Śakas
• शक: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• काम्बोज: the Kāmbojas
• काम्बोज: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्बोज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बाह्लीकाः: the Bāhlīkas
• बाह्लीकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्लीक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यवनाः: the Yavanas
• यवनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पारदाः: the Pāradas
• पारदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: and also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: ran towards; charged at
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शैनेयम्: Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• शैनेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शलभाः: moths; locusts
• शलभाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शलभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पावकम्: fire
• पावकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as; like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• Śakas
• Kāmbojas
• Bāhlīkas
• Yavanas
• Pāradas
• fire (pāvaka)
• moths (śalabha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger and group-impulse can drive warriors into self-destructive action: like moths drawn to flame, they rush toward danger without discernment. It implicitly contrasts dharmic prudence and self-control with reckless fury in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a force of three thousand, led by Duryodhana and including several frontier peoples (Śakas, Kāmbojas, Bāhlīkas, Yavanas, Pāradas), charges at Śaineya (Sātyaki), surging upon him with the heedless intensity of moths flying into fire.