Shloka 23

सहसा चाभववत्‌ तीव्रं संनिपातान्महद्‌ रज: । गजाश्वरथपत्तीनां पदनेमिसमुद्धतम्‌

sahasā cābhavattīvraṃ saṃnipātān mahad rajaḥ | gajāśvarathapattīnāṃ padanemisamuddhatam ||

सहसा चाभवत्तīv्रं संनिपातान्महद् रजः । गजाश्वरथपत्तीनां पदनेमिसमुद्धतम् ॥

सहसाsuddenly, at once
सहसा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसहसा
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अभवत्arose, came to be
अभवत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
Formलङ् (Imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपदम्
तीव्रम्intense, violent
तीव्रम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootतीव्र
Formneuter, nominative/accusative, singular
संनिपातात्from the collision/close encounter
संनिपातात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootसंनिपात
Formmasculine, ablative, singular
महत्great, huge
महत्:
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत्
Formneuter, nominative/accusative, singular
रजःdust
रजः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootरजस्
Formneuter, nominative, singular
गजof elephants
गज:
TypeNoun
Rootगज
Formmasculine, genitive, plural, as first member in compound गजाश्वरथपत्तीनाम
अश्वof horses
अश्व:
TypeNoun
Rootअश्व
Formmasculine, genitive, plural, as member in compound गजाश्वरथपत्तीनाम
रथof chariots
रथ:
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
Formmasculine, genitive, plural, as member in compound गजाश्वरथपत्तीनाम
पत्तीनाम्of foot-soldiers (infantry); (together) of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry
पत्तीनाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootपत्ति
Formmasculine, genitive, plural, compound as a whole: गज-अश्व-रथ-पत्तीनाम् (of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers)
पदby (their) feet/steps
पद:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपद
Formneuter, instrumental, plural, as first member in compound पदनेमिसमुद्धतम्
नेमिby (their) wheel-rims
नेमि:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनेमि
Formfeminine, instrumental, plural, as member in compound पदनेमिसमुद्धतम्
समुद्धतम्raised up, stirred up
समुद्धतम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-उद्-हृ (समुद्धृत)
Formneuter, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle), qualifies रजः; compound पद-नेमि-समुद्धतम् = raised up by feet and wheel-rims

संजय उवाच

संजय (Sañjaya)
रजः (dust-cloud)
गज (elephants)
अश्व (horses)
रथ (chariots)
पत्ति (infantry)
नेमि (wheel-rims)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores a moral-narrative insight: when conflict erupts, it rapidly generates conditions—confusion, obscured vision, loss of discernment—that affect everyone. It implicitly warns that violence does not remain clean or controlled; it spreads disorder and moral haze along with physical dust.

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that as the armies close in and collide, a massive dust-cloud suddenly rises, stirred by the trampling of elephants and horses, the movement of chariots, and the marching of infantry—signaling the intensity and scale of the engagement.