Shloka 19

गजौघवेगोद्धतसादितानां श्रुत्वा विषेदु: सहसा मनुष्या: । आर्तस्वनं सादिपदातियूनां विषाणगात्रावरताडितानाम्‌,हाथियोंके वेगसे कुचलकर कितने ही घुड़सवार और पैदल युवक मारे गये। वे उनके दाँतों और नीचेके अंगसे कुचलकर हताहत हो रहे थे। सहसा उनकी आर्त चीत्कार सुनकर सभी मनुष्योंको बड़ा खेद होता था ततः स मद्रकान्‌ हत्वा दशैव दशभि: शरै: | पृष्टरक्षं जघानाशु भल्लेन कृतवर्मण: तत्पश्चात्‌ दस बाणोंसे मद्रदेशीय दस योद्धाओंको मारकर तुरंत ही एक भल्लके द्वारा कृतवमकि पृष्ठ-रक्षकको मार डाला

sañjaya uvāca |

gajaughavegoddhatasāditānāṃ śrutvā viṣeduḥ sahasā manuṣyāḥ |

ārtasvanaṃ sādipadātiyūnāṃ viṣāṇagātrāvaratāḍitānām ||

tataḥ sa madrakān hatvā daśaiva daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ |

pṛṣṭharakṣaṃ jaghānāśu bhallena kṛtavarmaṇaḥ ||

सञ्जय उवाच—गजौघवेगोद्धतसादितानां श्रुत्वा विषेदुः सहसा मनुष्याः। आर्तस्वनं सादिपदातियूनां विषाणगात्रावरताडितानाम्॥ ततः स मद्रकान् हत्वा दशैव दशभिः शरैः। पृष्ठरक्षं जघानाशु भल्लेन कृतवर्मणः॥

गजौघवेग-उद्धत-सादितानाम्of those crushed/laid low, driven by the impetuous speed of the herd of elephants
गजौघवेग-उद्धत-सादितानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootगजौघवेगोद्धतसादित (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
श्रुत्वाhaving heard
श्रुत्वा:
Karana
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
FormAbsolutive (Gerund)
विषेदुःbecame despondent
विषेदुः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि+सद् (धातु)
FormPerfect, 3, Plural
सहसाsuddenly
सहसा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसहसा (अव्यय)
मनुष्याःmen/people
मनुष्याः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
आर्त-स्वनम्the distressed cry
आर्त-स्वनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootआर्तस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
सादि-पद-अतियूनाम्of the very young (men), horsemen and foot-soldiers
सादि-पद-अतियूनाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun/Adjective
Rootसादिपदातियून (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
विषाण-गात्र-अवर-ताडितानाम्of those struck down by tusks and by the lower parts of the body
विषाण-गात्र-अवर-ताडितानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootविषाणगात्रावरताडित (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
ततःthen/thereupon
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मद्रकान्the Madra warriors
मद्रकान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमद्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
हत्वाhaving slain
हत्वा:
Karana
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
FormAbsolutive (Gerund)
दशten
दश:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootदशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
एवindeed/just
एव:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
दशभिःwith ten
दशभिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootदशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
शरैःwith arrows
शरैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
पृष्ठ-रक्षम्rear-guard/protector of the back
पृष्ठ-रक्षम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपृष्ठरक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
जघानslew/struck down
जघान:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
FormPerfect, 3, Singular
आशुquickly
आशु:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootआशु (अव्यय)
भल्लेनwith a bhalla (broad-headed arrow)
भल्लेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootभल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
कृतवर्मणःof Kṛtavarman
कृतवर्मणः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकृतवर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
E
elephants (gaja)
H
horsemen
F
foot-soldiers (padāti)
M
Madra warriors (madrakāḥ)
K
Kṛtavarman
B
bhalla (broad-headed arrow)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores the human cost of war: even amid kṣatriya duty and tactical success, the cries of the wounded evoke grief and moral unease. It highlights how battlefield prowess coexists with the ethical weight of suffering inflicted on living beings.

Sañjaya describes a chaotic moment where an elephant onslaught crushes young cavalry and infantry, causing widespread distress. Immediately after, a warrior (contextually one of the principal fighters in the scene) kills ten Madra combatants with ten arrows and then swiftly fells Kṛtavarman’s rear-guard protector with a bhalla.