Shloka 74

Devanagari script

निर्मनुष्यान्‌ रथान्‌ राजन्‌ सुयुक्ताञ्जवनैहयै: । वातायमानानद्राक्षं द्वियमाणान्‌ विशाम्पते

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nirmanuṣyān rathān rājan suyuktāñ javanaiḥ hayaiḥ | vātāyamānān adrākṣaṃ dvyamāṇān viśāmpate ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“噢，大王！我见许多战车，车上竟无一人，却以迅捷良马严整驾轭。它们仿佛被风驱使，或被拖曳，或被旋卷，向四方翻转奔突——噢，民之主！此乃凶兆，显出战争使秩序与人力控制崩解时所生的混乱与恐惧。”

Word by Word

• निर्मनुष्यान्: without men, unmanned
• निर्मनुष्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मनुष्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रथान्: chariots
• रथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सुयुक्तान्: well-yoked, properly harnessed
• सुयुक्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुयुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जवनैः: with swift (ones)
• जवनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जवन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• हयैः: horses
• हयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वातायमानान्: moving like the wind, wind-swift
• वातायमानान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वातायमान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अद्राक्षम्: I saw
• अद्राक्षम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Aorist (Luṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्वियमाणान्: being dragged/pulled about (hither and thither)
• द्वियमाणान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + यम् (द्वियम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• विशाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पते: O lord
• पते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'rājan', 'viśāmpate')
• chariots (ratha)
• horses (haya)
• wind (vāta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how war destroys human order: even instruments of power like chariots become uncontrolled, suggesting that violence breeds chaos and suffering beyond anyone’s command.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that he witnessed unmanned chariots, still yoked to fast horses, rushing about like the wind and being dragged in various directions—an ominous battlefield spectacle.