Shloka 52

Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements

Devanagari script

नदत: सीदतकश्चान्यान्‌ विमुखान्‌ समरे गतान्‌ । विद्रुतान्‌ भयसंविग्नांस्तथा विशकृतो5परान्‌

Transliteration

nadatāḥ sīdatakaś cānyān vimukhān samare gatān | vidrutān bhayasaṃvignāṃs tathā viśakṛto 'parān ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Собственными глазами я видел: одни слоны трубили, другие валились от изнеможения; одни, отвернувшись, отступали от боя; другие в панике бежали; а иные были так охвачены страхом, что испражнялись и мочились. Таков был ужасный облик войны, развернувшийся передо мной».

Word by Word

• नदतः: roaring (ones)
• नदतः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सीदतः: sinking / collapsing (ones)
• सीदतः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद्
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विमुखान्: turned away / facing away
• विमुखान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• गतान्: gone / having come
• गतान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विद्रुतान्: fled / run away
• विद्रुतान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-द्रु
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• भयसंविग्नान्: agitated with fear
• भयसंविग्नान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-संविग्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: thus / likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• विषकृतः: those doing excretion (urine/feces)
• विषकृतः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषकृत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, पाठानुसार अपेक्षित रूपं: विषकृतान् (अकारान्त-प्रातिपदिकस्य पुं. द्वितीया बहुवचनम्); उपलब्ध पाठे 'विषकृतो' इति रूपदोष/पाठभेदः सम्भाव्यः

• अपरान्: others (still)
• अपरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• battlefield (samara)
• elephants (implied by trumpeting and context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the brutal psychological and physical collapse produced by war—fear, panic, and loss of dignity—serving as an implicit ethical reminder that violence dehumanizes and overwhelms even the mighty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports what he personally witnessed on the battlefield: elephants (and combatants by implication) trumpeting, faltering, turning back, fleeing in terror, and even losing bodily control due to fear.