Shloka 64

भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas

Devanagari script

रथैश्व सर्वतो भग्नै: किड़किणीजालभूषितै: । वाजिभिश्ष हतैर्बाणै: स्रस्तजिद्लैः सशोणितै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | rathaiś ca sarvato bhagnaiḥ kiḍkiṇījālabhūṣitaiḥ | vājibhiś ca hatair bāṇaiḥ srastajihvaiḥ saśoṇitaiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“四周尽是破碎的战车，车上仍饰着细小铃铛织成的铃网，叮当作响。被箭射倒的战马成堆倒毙——舌头外吐，躯体尽染鲜血。”

Word by Word

• रथैः: with/by chariots
• रथैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• सर्वतः: on all sides/everywhere
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• भग्नैः: broken, shattered
• भग्नैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• किङ्किणीजालभूषितैः: adorned with a net of small bells
• किङ्किणीजालभूषितैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किङ्किणी-जाल-भूषित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वाजिभिः: with horses
• वाजिभिः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• हतैः: killed, slain
• हतैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• स्रस्तजिह्वैः: with tongues hanging out
• स्रस्तजिह्वैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्रस्त-जिह्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सशोणितैः: with blood, bloodied
• सशोणितैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शोणित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariots (ratha)
• small bells (kiḍkiṇī)
• arrows (bāṇa)
• horses/steeds (vājin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse offers a stark reminder of the ethical and human (and animal) cost of war: glory and martial display collapse into ruin, urging reflection on how dharma is tested amid violence and ambition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield aftermath: shattered, ornamented chariots lie scattered, and horses pierced by arrows fall bloodied with tongues hanging out—an intense visual of the carnage at Kurukṣetra.