Shloka 53

Devanagari script

आरूबढैरयुद्धकुशलैरविमलप्रासयोधिभि: । वीरै: प्रहारिभिरययुक्ति: स्वैरनीकै: समावृत:,उसके साथ निर्मल प्रास नामक अस्त्रसे युद्ध करनेवाले संग्रामकुशल तथा प्रहार करनेमें समर्थ वीरोंसे युक्त बहुत-सी सेनाएँ थीं। उसके सभी सैनिक सवारियोंपर बैठे हुए थे। उन सबसे घिरा हुआ वह समरभूमिमें महाबली इरावान्‌को मार डालनेकी इच्छासे युद्धस्थलमें गया। महाराज! मरनेसे बचे हुए दो हजार उत्तम घोड़े उसके साथ थे

Transliteration

ārūḍhair yuddha-kuśalair vimala-prāsa-yodhibhiḥ | vīraiḥ prahāribhir ayuktaḥ svair anīkaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：他被自己的诸军所环绕——尽是骑乘战马的勇士，精于战阵，善使洁净无瑕的“普罗娑”（如矛之投射兵器）。又有能施致命重击的英雄随行，他踏入战场，一心要在交锋中斩杀大力的伊罗梵。大王啊，随他而来的，还有两千匹从屠戮中幸存的上等良马。

Word by Word

आरूढैःmounted (by), seated upon

युद्धकुशलैःskilled in battle

विमलप्रासयोधिभिःby fighters wielding spotless spears (prāsa)

वीरैःby heroes

प्रहारिभिःby strikers, assailants

अययुक्तिःiron-equipped (army/force); iron-armed array

स्वैरनीकैःby freely-moving troops/companies

समावृतःsurrounded, encompassed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Irāvān

prāsa (weapon)

armies/divisions (anīka)

horses

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily serves as battlefield narration rather than direct moral instruction; ethically, it highlights how intention (the resolve to kill a specific foe) and organized martial capability drive the momentum of war, underscoring the grave, purposeful nature of kṣatriya combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior advancing into the fight, surrounded by his own mounted troops skilled with the prāsa weapon, moving with the explicit aim of killing the powerful Irāvān, and accompanied by two thousand surviving horses.