Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तैराहतास्ते शरशक्तिशूलै- गदाभिरुग्रै: परिचैश्व दीप्तै: । वजै: पिनाकैरशनिप्रहारै: शतध्निचक्रैर्मथिताश्व पेतु:,उन निशाचरोंके बरसाये हुए बाण, शक्ति, शूल, गदा, उग्र प्रज्वलित परिघ, वद्र, पिनाक, बिजली, शतघ्नी और चक्र आदि अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके प्रहारोंसे रौंदे गये कौरव-योद्धा मर-मरकर पृथ्वीपर गिरने लगे

Transliteration

tair āhatās te śaraśaktiśūlaiḥ gadābhir ugraiḥ parighaiś ca dīptaiḥ | vajraiḥ pinākair aśaniprahāraiḥ śatadhnīcakrair mathitāś ca petuḥ ||

Translation

ఆ నిశాచరులు కురిపించిన బాణాలు, శక్తులు, శూలాలు, ఉగ్ర గదలు, జ్వలించే పరిఘాలు, అలాగే వజ్రాలు, పినాకాలు, మెరుపువంటి ప్రహారాలు, శతఘ్నులు, చక్రాలు మొదలైన ఆయుధప్రహారాలతో నలిగిపోయిన కౌరవయోధులు ఒక్కొక్కరుగా మరణిస్తూ భూమిపై కూలిపోతూ ఉన్నారు।

Word by Word

तैःby them

आहताःstruck, smitten

तेthey (those)

शर-शक्ति-शूलैःwith arrows, spears, and tridents

गदाभिःwith maces

उग्रैःfierce

परिचैःwith iron clubs/bars (parighas)

चand

दीप्तैःblazing, shining

वज्रैःwith thunderbolts/adamantine weapons

पिनाकैःwith pināka-weapons (bows/arms named Pināka)

अशनि-प्रहारैःwith lightning-like blows

शतध्नि-चक्रैःwith śataghni missiles and discus-weapons

मथिताःcrushed, churned, battered

चand

पेतुःfell down

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

niśācara (night-rangers; rākṣasas)

Kaurava warriors

śara (arrows)

śakti (spears/javelins)

śūla (tridents/pikes)

gadā (maces)

parigha (iron clubs)

vajra (thunderbolt-like weapon)

pināka (Śiva’s bow/weapon-class)

aśani (lightning)

śatadhnī/śataghni (war-missile/engine)

cakra (discus)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of warfare: once mass violence is set in motion, it indiscriminately crushes lives and reveals the fragility of human power. It implicitly warns that adharma-fueled conflict leads to widespread ruin, making the battlefield a lesson in impermanence and accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Kaurava fighters being overwhelmed by the night-rangers’ assault. A barrage of diverse weapons—arrows, spears, tridents, maces, blazing clubs, thunderbolt-like missiles, lightning-like strikes, śataghni projectiles, and discs—batters them until they collapse and die on the ground.