Mahabharata · 7.8.15–16
॥
Devanāgarī
ते च शोणा बृहन्तो ऽश्वाः सैन्धवा हेममालिनः ॥
रथे वातजवा युक्ताः सर्वशब्दातिगा रणे ॥
बलिनो घोषिणो दान्ताः सैन्धवाः साधुवाहिनः ॥
दृढाः संग्राममध्येषु कच्चिद् आसन् न विह्वलाः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
te ca śoṇā bṛhanto 'śvāḥ saindhavā hemamālinaḥ ||
rathe vātajavā yuktāḥ sarvaśabdātigā raṇe ||
balino ghoṣiṇo dāntāḥ saindhavāḥ sādhuvāhinaḥ ||
dṛḍhāḥ saṃgrāmamadhyeṣu kaccid āsan na vihvalāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेtethose; those very
चcaand; also
शोणाःśoṇāḥred [crimson]; of a reddish hue
बृहन्तःbṛhantaḥtall [large]; mighty
अश्वाःaśvāḥhorses; steeds
सैन्धवाःsaindhavāḥof Sindhu; of the Sindhu breed
हेममालिनःhemamālinaḥwith golden garlands; in golden trappings
रथेratheto the chariot; [into] the chariot
वातजवाःvātajavāḥswift as the wind; as fleet [as] a whirlwind
युक्ताःyuktāḥyoked; harnessed
सर्वशब्दातिगाःsarvaśabdātigāḥoutrunning every sound [faster than sound]; outstripping every noise
रणेraṇein battle; in combat
बलिनःbalinaḥstrong; powerful
घोषिणःghoṣiṇaḥringingly neighing; loudly [neighing]
दान्ताःdāntāḥbroken in [tamed]; trained
सैन्धवाःsaindhavāḥof Sindhu; [horses] of Sindhu
साधुवाहिनःsādhuvāhinaḥpulling well; sound in harness
दृढाःdṛḍhāḥsturdy [steadfast]; enduring
संग्राममध्येषुsaṃgrāmamadhyeṣuamid battles; in the thick of combat
कच्चित्kaccitdid they, perhaps [could it be]; [interrog.: surely not]
आसन्āsanwere; turned out to be
नnanot; [surely] not
विह्वलाःvihvalāḥconfounded [faltering]; bewildered
Translation
And those tall Sindhu horses of a reddish hue, in golden trappings, harnessed to his chariot, swift as the wind, outstripping every sound in battle — powerful, ringingly neighing, well-trained Sindhu horses, sound in harness, enduring in the thick of combat — could they, perhaps, have been confounded?
Version
57f78156490e · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Grief turns even to Drona's horses — asking after them with love, as though about kin: great sorrow does not pass over even the small, for everything connected to the departed becomes dear. In this attention to the horses there is a tenderness that does not fit the grimness of war, and thereby the lament sounds all the more human. But behind the tenderness lies the same bewilderment: could even these flawless horses have faltered? — as though their steadfastness could have turned aside fate. The verse teaches that love for the departed extends to everything connected with him; that in the hour of loss even the small details of the fallen one's life become precious; and that even the perfection of faithful servants and animals does not annul what is preordained — fate does not yield before soundness of harness.