Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सगजाश्न गजारोहा: किरीटिशरताडिता: । ततोडर्जुनभुजोत्सृष्टरावृता5डसीद्‌ वसुन्धरा

Transliteration

sa-gajāś ca gajārohāḥ kirīṭi-śara-tāḍitāḥ | tato 'rjuna-bhujotsṛṣṭair āvṛtā 'sīd vasundharā ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：象群与象骑，被戴冠的阿周那之箭射中，顿时大乱；继而，大地仿佛被从阿周那双臂放出的无数箭矢所覆盖——这是压倒性的战阵威势之象，也昭示战争所付出的沉重代价。

Word by Word

• सगजाः: having elephants (with elephants)
• सगजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-गज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्व: horse
• अश्व: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गजारोहाः: elephant-riders
• गजारोहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-आरोह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• किरीटिनः: of the diademed one (Arjuna)
• किरीटिनः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शर: by arrows
• शर: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आहताः: struck, smitten
• आहताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अर्जुन: of Arjuna
• अर्जुन: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भुज: by (his) arm
• भुज: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उत्सृष्ट: released, discharged
• उत्सृष्ट: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सृज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रावृताः: covered, enveloped
• रावृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: र-आवृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• असीत्: was, became
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular

• वसुन्धरा: the earth
• वसुन्धरा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुन्धरा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Kirīṭin)
• elephants (gaja)
• elephant-riders (gajārohāḥ)
• arrows (śara)
• earth (vasundharā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the overwhelming power of a warrior acting within the battlefield role of a kṣatriya, while implicitly reminding the listener that such power manifests as widespread destruction—inviting reflection on the ethical weight and consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s intense archery: elephants and their riders are struck by his arrows, and the ground appears covered with the multitude of missiles he releases, conveying the scale and ferocity of the combat.