Shloka 21
Devanagari script
मज्जत्सु चक्रेषु रथान् सत्त्वमास्थाय वाजिन: । कथंचिदवहडउश्रान्ता वेपमाना: शरार्दिता:
Transliteration
majjatsu cakreṣu rathān sattvam āsthāya vājinaḥ | kathaṃcid avahaḍuśrāntā vepamānāḥ śarārditāḥ ||
Translation
मज्जत्सु चक्रेषु रथान् सत्त्वमास्थाय वाजिनः । कथंचिदवहन् श्रान्ता वेपमानाः शरार्दिताः ॥
Word by Word
मज्जत्सुin (the) sinking (ones)
मज्जत्सु:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootमज्जत् (√मज्ज्)
Formneuter, locative, plural
चक्रेषुin the wheels
चक्रेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootचक्र
Formneuter, locative, plural
रथान्chariots
रथान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
Formmasculine, accusative, plural
सत्त्वम्courage; resolve
सत्त्वम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसत्त्व
Formneuter, accusative, singular
आस्थायhaving taken up; having resorted to
आस्थाय:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-स्था (√स्था)
Formabsolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
वाजिनःhorses
वाजिनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवाजिन्
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
कथंचित्somehow; with difficulty
कथंचित्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् + चित्
अवहडुःthey dragged/pulled along
अवहडुः:
TypeVerb
Rootअव-हड् (√हड्)
Formperfect (लिट्), 3rd, plural
उश्रान्ताःutterly exhausted
उश्रान्ताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootउश्रान्त (उपसर्ग-श्रान्त)
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
वेपमानाःtrembling
वेपमानाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवेपमान (√वेप्)
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
शरार्दिताःpierced/afflicted by arrows
शरार्दिताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशर-आर्दित
Formmasculine, nominative, plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaC
chariots (ratha)W
wheels (cakra)H
horses/steeds (vājinaḥ)A
arrows (śara)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethic of the battlefield: survival and duty-driven momentum often rely on sheer stamina amid pain and fear. It implicitly contrasts heroic resolve with the tragic cost borne even by animals and instruments of war.
Sañjaya describes a chaotic battle scene where chariot wheels are sinking, yet the horses, despite exhaustion and arrow-wounds, manage to pull the chariots forward with great difficulty.