Shloka 54

Devanagari script

रथनेमिनिकृत्तैश्न गजैश्वैवावपोथितै: । पादाताक्षाप्यधावन्त साश्षराश्ष हययोधिन:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | rathanemi-nikṛttaiś ca gajaiś caivāvapothitaiḥ | pādātāś cāpy adhāvanta saśastrāś ca hayayodhinaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：许多人被战车轮缘斩断，许多人又被大象卷住掀起，摔落在地。步兵亦惊惶奔逃，骑兵——仍执兵刃、仍携坐骑——也从那里逃散。此偈表明：当恐惧压倒军纪，战阵秩序便会崩溃，暴力遂成无差别的洪流，连已备战、已持械者也一并吞没。

Word by Word

• रथनेमिनिकृत्तैः: cut off by the rims of chariot-wheels
• रथनेमिनिकृत्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ-नेमि-नि-कृत्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• गजैः: by elephants
• गजैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्वैः: by horses
• अश्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• अपपोथितैः: thrown down/overthrown
• अपपोथितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-पूथित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पादाताः: foot-soldiers
• पादाताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अक्षाः: axles (i.e., chariots with axles broken/axle-men); contextually: chariot-warriors
• अक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अधावन्त: ran away/fled
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• स: with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• अश्व: with (their) horse
• अश्व: Saha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रथाः: chariots/chariot-warriors
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हययोधिनः: horse-fighters; cavalry warriors
• हययोधिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय-योधिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot wheels (ratha-nemi)
• elephants (gaja)
• infantry (pādāta)
• cavalry/horsemen (hayayodhinaḥ)
• weapons (śastra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral and practical breakdown that occurs when fear overtakes discipline in war: even armed warriors abandon their station, and violence becomes uncontrolled, harming many without discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fierce moment in the battle where some fighters are cut down by chariot wheels, others are grabbed and slammed down by elephants, and many infantry and cavalry—though still armed—flee the scene.