श्येनव्यूहविभिन्नाग्रसन्निवेशोत्तमध्वनि । अन्योन्यास्फोटनिःशेषप्रपतद्भूरिवृन्दकम् ॥ २२ ॥
śyēnavyūhavibhinnāgrasannivēśōttamadhvani | anyōnyāsphōṭaniḥśēṣaprapatadbhūrivṛndakam || 22 ||
Translation
a mighty roar where the front ranks were broken by the hawk formation; whole hosts falling in the clash of arm against arm;
Word by word
- śyēna
- hawk
- vyūha
- by the formation
- vibhinna
- were broken
- agra
- where the front
- sannivēśa
- ranks
- uttama
- mighty
- dhvani
- a roar
- anyōnya
- against one another
- āsphōṭa
- in the clash of arms
- niḥśēṣa
- whole
- prapatad
- (prapatat) falling
- bhūri
- many
- vṛndakam
- hosts
Meaning
The hawk formation (śyena) strikes like the bird, with a narrow head that breaks the enemy's front; the first commentary: it split the enemy camp in two, and a sky-piercing clamour rose. Where the lines meet, men strike arm against arm, and whole groups go down together.