Shloka 15
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
Devanagari script
अपरांश्चापरे5मृद्नन् वारणा: पतितान् नरान्
Transliteration
aparāṁś cāpare mṛdnan vāraṇāḥ patitān narān
Translation
अपरांश्चापरे मृद्नन् वारणा: पतितान् नरान्।
Word by Word
अपरान्others (some other men)
अपरान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअपर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
अपरेothers (other ones)
अपरे:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअपर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अमृद्नन्crushed, trampled, smashed
अमृद्नन्:
TypeVerb
Rootमृद्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
वारणाःelephants
वारणाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवारण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पतितान्fallen
पतितान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपतित
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
नरान्men, warriors
नरान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sanjaya)व
वारण (elephants)न
नर (men/warriors)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 underscores the dehumanizing force of war: once combat turns into mass violence, even the fallen—who can no longer fight—become victims of indiscriminate destruction. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of battle and the fragility of human life amid martial frenzy.
Sanjaya describes a battlefield scene in which elephants are trampling men who have already fallen. The line emphasizes the relentless press of combat and the terror caused by war-elephants moving through ranks and over bodies.