Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ततो रथेनाम्बुदवृन्दनादिना शरन्नभोमध्यदिवाकरार्चिषा । पताकिना भीमनिनादकेतुना हिमेन्दुशड्खस्फटिकावभासिना

Transliteration

tato rathenāmbudavṛndanādinā śarannabhomadhyadivākarārciṣā | patākinā bhīmaninādaketunā himendushaṅkhasphaṭikāvabhāsinā ||

Translation

అనంతరం పతాకతో కూడిన ఆ రథంపై—మేఘసమూహాల గర్జనవలె గంభీర నాదం చేసే, శరదృతువు మధ్యాహ్న సూర్యునివలె దగ్ధప్రకాశంతో వెలిగే, ధ్వజంపై భయంకర నినాదం చేసే వానర-కేతువు ఉన్న, హిమం, చంద్రుడు, శంఖం, స్ఫటికంలా నిర్మల కాంతి గల—ఆ రథాన్ని అధిరోహించి శ్రీకృష్ణుడు మరియు అర్జునుడు యుద్ధభూమిలో విశేషంగా శోభించారు।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• रथेन: by/with the chariot
• रथेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अम्बुद-वृन्द-नादिना: having the sound of a mass of clouds
• अम्बुद-वृन्द-नादिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बुदवृन्दनादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शरत्-नभो-मध्य-दिवाकर-अर्चिषा: with radiance like the midday sun in autumn sky
• शरत्-नभो-मध्य-दिवाकर-अर्चिषा: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरन्नभोमध्यदिवाकरार्चिस्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पताकिना: bannered, having a flag
• पताकिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पताकिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीम-निनाद-केतुना: with a banner/standard of dreadful roar
• भीम-निनाद-केतुना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमनिनादकेतु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हिम-इन्दु-शङ्ख-स्फटिक-अवभासिना: shining like snow, moon, conch, and crystal
• हिम-इन्दु-शङ्ख-स्फटिक-अवभासिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिमेन्दुशङ्खस्फटिकावभासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ratha (chariot)
• Patākā (banner/flag)
• Ketu/Dhvaja (standard/emblem)
• Kapidhvaja (monkey-emblem on Arjuna’s standard, implied by ‘bhīmanināda-ketu’)
• Autumn midday sun (śarannabho-madhya-divākara)
• Cloud-mass thunder (ambuda-vṛnda-nāda)
• Snow (hima)
• Moon (indu)
• Conch (śaṅkha)
• Crystal (sphaṭika)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys that inner fearlessness and righteous resolve (often associated with dharmic purpose) manifest outwardly as clarity, brilliance, and auspicious power. The chariot’s thunder-like sound and sun-like radiance symbolize moral confidence and the momentum of a cause supported by higher order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya describes the arrival/appearance of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna on their chariot in the battlefield. The chariot is portrayed as roaring like thunderclouds, blazing like the autumn midday sun, bearing a banner and a fearsome-sounding emblem (the monkey-standard), and shining with a purity likened to snow, moon, conch, and crystal.