Shloka 61

Devanagari script

सपताकाश्च मातज्ा दिशो जग्मु: शरातुरा: । क्षत्रियाश्व मनुष्येन्द्र गदाशक्तिधनुर्धरा:

Transliteration

sapatākāś ca mātaṅgā diśo jagmuḥ śarāturāḥ | kṣatriyāś ca manuṣyendra gadāśakti-dhanur-dharāḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：群象身中箭矢，痛楚难当，遂向四方奔逃。刹帝利诸战士亦然，噢人中王——执钺槌、持长枪、挽强弓者——皆陷于迷乱，纷纷溃散。

Word by Word

• सपताकाः: having banners/with flags
• सपताकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-पताका
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• मातृजा: sons of mothers (i.e., men/warriors)
• मातृजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• जग्मुः: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• शरातुराः: afflicted by arrows / wounded by arrows
• शरातुराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरातुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas, warriors
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मनुष्येन्द्र: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्येन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गदाशक्तिधनुर्धराः: bearers of mace, spear, and bow
• गदाशक्तिधनुर्धराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदाशक्तिधनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• war-elephants (mātaṅga)
• kṣatriya warriors
• banners/standards (patākā)
• arrows (śara)
• mace (gadā)
• spear/javelin (śakti)
• bow (dhanuḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark consequences of warfare: even the mightiest instruments of battle—elephants and armed kṣatriyas—can be driven into disorder by suffering. It implicitly cautions that martial power is fragile when confronted with pain and fear, reminding the listener that war tests not only strength but steadiness of mind and discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that, under intense arrow-fire, war-elephants panic and run in all directions. Along with them, kṣatriya fighters carrying maces, spears, and bows also scatter, indicating a moment of battlefield rout and confusion.