Shloka 65

Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)

Devanagari script

निहतै: सादिभिश्लैव श्रैराहवशोभितै: । अपश्याम रणे तत्र भ्राम्यमाणान्‌ हयोत्तमान्‌

Transliteration

nihatyaiḥ sādibhiś caiva śrai rāhavaśobhitaiḥ | apaśyāma raṇe tatra bhrāmyamāṇān hayottamān |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Ngay tại chiến địa ấy, chúng tôi thấy nhiều tuấn mã lang thang hoang mang—những con ngựa mà yên cụ và đồ trang sức từng rực rỡ giữa tiếng binh khí va chạm nay đã bị chém nát, hư hoại, còn kỵ sĩ của chúng thì đã ngã xuống.”

Word by Word

• निहतैः: by slain (ones)
• निहतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सादिभिः: by riders/horsemen (lit. those who sit/ride)
• सादिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• श्रियै: for splendor/beauty
• श्रियै: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

• आहव-शोभितैः: adorned in battle
• आहव-शोभितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आहव-शोभित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अपश्याम: we saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Plural

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• भ्राम्यमाणान्: wandering, roaming about
• भ्राम्यमाणान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्राम्यत् (भ्रम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हय-उत्तमान्: excellent horses
• हय-उत्तमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय-उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• battlefield (raṇa/āhava)
• excellent horses (hayottamāḥ)
• saddles / horse-gear (sādi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the fragility of worldly splendor in war: what appears glorious in battle—ornament, equipment, and martial display—can collapse instantly, leaving only confusion and loss. It invites reflection on impermanence and the human cost behind heroic spectacle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he and others observed: riderless, well-bred horses roaming the battlefield in disarray, their battle-gear damaged and their riders slain—an image of the aftermath of intense fighting.