Shloka 71

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

Devanagari script

यन्त्रैश्व बहुधाच्छिन्नैस्तोमरैश्वापि काउचनै: । अश्वानां रेणुकपिलै रुक्मच्छन्नैरुरश्छदै:

Transliteration

yantraiś ca bahudhā cchinnaiḥ tomaraiś cāpi kāñcanaiḥ | aśvānāṃ reṇukapilai rūkma-channair uraś-chadaiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：战场上遍布被击碎成无数段的战具，金饰的托摩罗长枪，以及马的胸甲——镀金其上，尘土翻卷间使战马仿佛呈黄褐之色——皆断裂破碎，散落于此处彼处。

Word by Word

• यन्त्रैः: with machines/engines (war-engines)
• यन्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• बहुधा: in many ways; variously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा

• च्छिन्नैः: cut, severed
• च्छिन्नैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तोमरैः: with javelins/spears (tomaras)
• तोमरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोमर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• काञ्चनैः: golden; made of gold
• काञ्चनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्वानाम्: of horses
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• रेणुकपिलैः: dust-brown; tawny with dust
• रेणुकपिलैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेणु-कपिल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• रुक्मच्छन्नैः: covered with gold; gold-clad
• रुक्मच्छन्नैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्म-छन्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• उरःछदैः: with chest-covers/breastplates
• उरःछदैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरः-छद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• yantra (war-engine)
• tomara (spear/javelin)
• aśva (horses)
• uraśchada (horse breast-guard/armor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of worldly splendor in war: gold-plated weapons and protective gear, symbols of power and pride, are rendered useless and broken. Ethically, it points to the sobering cost of conflict and the transience of material glory amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the aftermath on the battlefield: shattered war-machines, golden spears, and broken horse breast-guards lie scattered, with dust making the horses appear tawny—an image of intense fighting and widespread ruin.