चक्रव्यूहकराक्रान्तदुर्वृत्तसुरभासुरम् । गरुडव्यूहसंरम्भविद्रवन्नागसञ्चयम् ॥ २१ ॥
cakravyūhakarākrāntadurvṛttasurabhāsuram | garuḍavyūhasaṁrambhavidravannāgasañcayam || 21 ||
Translation
bright as the gods when they beset the wicked in a wheel formation; its hosts of nāgas fleeing at the onset of the Garuḍa formation;
Word by word
- cakra
- wheel
- vyūha
- in a formation
- kara
- by those making
- ākrānta
- beset
- durvṛtta
- the wicked
- sura
- as the gods
- bhāsuram
- bright
- garuḍa
- Garuḍa
- saṁrambha
- at the onset
- vidravan
- (vidravat) fleeing
- nāga
- of nāgas
- sañcayam
- its hosts
Meaning
Now the formations (vyūhas) of classical warfare, each with its picture. The wheel (cakra) surrounds the enemy as the gods once surrounded the demons. The Garuḍa formation is shaped like the eagle; and as serpents (nāgas) flee from Garuḍa, so the enemy's "nāgas", which is also a word for elephants, flee before it. The first commentary gives both senses.