Shloka 15

Virāṭa Rescued from Suśarmā; Night Battle and Royal Gratitude (विराटमोक्षणं सुशर्मवधाभिमुखं च)

Devanagari script

रथिनां रथिभिश्षात्र सम्प्रहारो5भ्यवर्तत,वहाँ रथियोंका रथियोंसे, घुड़सवारोंका घुड़सवारोंसे और पैदल योद्धाओंका पैदलोंसे घमासान युद्ध होने लगा। सब ओर रक्तकी धारा बह चली और उसमें सनकर धरतीकी धूल शान्त हो गयी

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | rathināṃ rathibhiḥ śātra saṃprahāro 'bhyavartata |

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—ข้าแต่พระราชา ที่นั่นนักรบรถศึกเข้าประจัญกับนักรบรถศึก; ทหารม้าเข้าชนกับทหารม้า และทหารราบเข้าปะทะกับทหารราบ เลือดไหลนองไปทุกทิศ จนฝุ่นดินก็เหมือนถูกชะล้างให้สงบลง

Word by Word

• रथिनाम्: of the chariot-warriors
• रथिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• रथिभिः: by/with chariot-warriors
• रथिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शूर: O hero
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सम्प्रहारः: a clash/close combat
• सम्प्रहारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्प्रहार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्यवर्तत: arose/ensued
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the momentum and moral gravity of war: once a melee begins, violence escalates beyond easy restraint, reminding the listener that kṣatriya conflict, though framed as duty, carries immense human cost and quickly overwhelms ordinary order.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes the battle intensifying into a direct clash of chariot-warriors against chariot-warriors (and, by extension in the received Hindi gloss, horsemen against horsemen and foot-soldiers against foot-soldiers), with bloodshed so heavy that it dampens and settles the battlefield dust.