Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तु पतिते भूमौ गतसत्त्वे तु सारथौ । रथ: प्रदुद्राव दिश: समुद्भ्रान्नहयस्तत:,सारथिके प्राणशून्य होकर पृथ्वीपर गिर जानेके पश्चात्‌ उस रथके घोड़े घबराकर भागने लगे और इस प्रकार वह रथ सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें दौड़ने लगा

Transliteration

tasmiṁstu patite bhūmau gatasattve tu sārathau | rathaḥ pradudrāva diśaḥ samudbhrāntahayastataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Khi người đánh xe ngã xuống đất, sinh lực đã tắt, bầy ngựa hoảng loạn phóng chạy, khiến cỗ chiến xa chao đảo lao đi cuồng loạn về mọi phía.

Word by Word

तस्मिन्in that (situation/place)

तुbut/indeed

पतितेhaving fallen / fallen (when ... had fallen)

भूमौon the ground

गतसत्त्वेlifeless (with life gone)

तुand/but

सारथौwhen the charioteer (was ...)

रथःthe chariot

प्रदुद्रावran forth / rushed

दिशःthe directions

समुद्भ्रान्तconfused, panic-stricken

हयाःthe horses

ततःthen/thereupon

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

charioteer (sārathi)

chariot (ratha)

horses (hayāḥ)

earth/ground (bhūmi)

directions (diśaḥ)

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 and practical importance of guidance and steadiness: when the one responsible for control and direction (the charioteer) is lost, dependent forces (the horses and chariot) fall into chaos, illustrating how leadership failure in war magnifies harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

A charioteer has fallen lifeless onto the ground; immediately the horses become frightened and disoriented, causing the chariot to race uncontrollably in every direction.