Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अन्तराच्छिद्यमानानि शरीराणि शिरांसि च | निपेतुर्दिक्षु सर्वासु गजाश्वरथयोधिनाम्‌,हाथी, घोड़े तथा रथोंपर बैठकर युद्ध करनेवाले सैनिकोंके शरीर और मस्तक बीच- बीचसे कटकर सब दिशाओंमें गिर रहे थे

Transliteration

antarāc chidyamānāni śarīrāṇi śirāṃsi ca | nipetur dikṣu sarvāsu gajāśvarathayodhinām ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Когда битва разгорелась, тела и отсечённые головы воинов, сражавшихся на слонах, конях и колесницах, рассекались на ходу и падали во все стороны — образ неизбирательного насилия войны и страшной цены, которую платит каждый, кто вступает в неё.

Word by Word

अन्तराin between, midway

च्छिद्यमानानिbeing cut

शरीराणिbodies

शिरांसिheads

चand

निपेतुःfell down

दिक्षुin the directions

सर्वासुin all

गजाश्वरथयोधिनाम्of the elephant-, horse-, and chariot-fighters

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

directions/quarters (dik)

elephants (gaja)

horses (aśva)

chariots (ratha)

warriors (yodhin)

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 underscores the grim reality of warfare: once violence is unleashed, it spreads without discrimination, producing widespread suffering. It implicitly invites reflection on the ethical weight of battle even when framed within kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene where warriors fighting from elephants, horses, and chariots are struck down; their bodies and heads are severed and fall across all directions, conveying the intensity and carnage of the combat.