Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अथाभ्यधावंस्त्वरिता: शतं रथा: शतं गजाश्चार्जुममाततायिन:

Transliteration

athābhyadhāvaṁs tvaritāḥ śataṁ rathāḥ śataṁ gajāś cārjumam ātatāyinaḥ

Translation

سنجے نے کہا— پھر بڑی عجلت میں سو رتھ اور سو ہاتھی ارجن کو ‘آتتائی’ سمجھ کر اس پر ٹوٹ پڑے۔

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अभ्यधावन्: ran towards / charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+धाव्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• त्वरिताः: hastened, swift
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतम्: a hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतम्: a hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आततायिनः: assailants, aggressors
• आततायिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आततायिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• chariots
• elephants

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, opponents may employ moral labels (like ‘ātatāyin’) to portray a righteous fighter as a criminal aggressor, thereby legitimizing extreme violence. It invites reflection on dharma: ethical judgment can be distorted by partisanship and battlefield urgency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a large force—one hundred chariots and one hundred elephants—rushes swiftly to attack Arjuna, presenting him as an ‘ātatāyin’ (aggressor) as they close in for combat.