Shloka 18

Devanagari script

निहतै: क्षत्रिय: श्रै्नानाजनपदेश्वरै: । जयगृद्धैर्व॒ता भूमिर्दारुणा समपद्यत,विजयकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले विभिन्न जनपदोंके स्वामी क्षत्रियवीर उस युद्धमें मारे गये। उनकी लाशोंसे पटी हुई पृथ्वी बड़ी भयानक जान पड़ती थी

Transliteration

nihatāiḥ kṣatriyaiḥ śrāinānājanapadeśvaraiḥ | jayagṛddhair vṛtā bhūmir dāruṇā samapadyata |

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—निहतैः क्षत्रियैः शूरैर्नानाजनपदेश्वरैः । जयगृद्धैर्वृताभूमिर्दारुणा समपद्यत ॥

Word by Word

निहतैःby the slain

क्षत्रियैःby kshatriyas (warriors)

श्रेणीनानाजनपदेश्वरैःby lords of various districts/realms (of many groups)

जयगृद्धैःby those greedy for victory

वृताcovered

भूमिःthe earth

दारुणाterrible, dreadful

समपद्यतbecame, came to be

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

bhūmi (the earth/battlefield)

kṣatriyas (warrior rulers)

janapadas (realms/territories)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical burden of war: when rulers become ‘greedy for victory,’ the pursuit of triumph produces a landscape of horror. It implicitly warns that victory-desire, unchecked by dharma and restraint, culminates in widespread destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield after intense fighting: many kṣatriya rulers from different realms have been killed, and the ground is covered with their bodies, making the earth appear terrifying.