Shloka 8

अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit

Devanagari script

वध्यमानेषु तेष्वाजौ गान्धारेषु समन्‍्तत:

Transliteration

vadhyamāneṣu teṣv ājau gāndhāreṣu samantataḥ

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：当那些犍陀罗勇士在战阵中四面被斩落之时，战场化作无休无止的屠戮之景——战争残酷势头的写照，武士之责在遍地苦难中展开。

Word by Word

• वध्यमानेषु: while (they) were being slain
• वध्यमानेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य (√वध् + य, ‘to be slain’) / वध्यमान (present passive participle of √वध्)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• तेषु: among them / in them
• तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (pronoun)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• आजौ: in battle
• आजौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (battle, fight)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• गान्धारेषु: among the Gandhāras
• गान्धारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार (Gandhāra; Gandhāran)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• समन्ततः: on all sides / all around
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāndhāras
• battlefield (āja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line underscores the grim reality of warfare: once battle is joined, violence spreads in all directions, testing the boundaries of dharma and highlighting the human cost that accompanies martial duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a battle scene in which the Gandhāra fighters are being slain throughout the field, indicating a decisive and widespread rout or heavy casualties on all sides.