सरच्छरालीशलभशतभङ्गुरसैनिकः । तरत्तुरङ्गशरभः शरभारवनावनिः ॥ १६ ॥
saraccharālīśalabhaśatabhaṅgurasainikaḥ | taratturaṅgaśarabhaḥ śarabhāravanāvaniḥ || 16 ||
Translation
its soldiers, like locusts, broken by hundreds by the lines of flying arrows; its śarabhas the leaping horses; its ground a forest of the weight of arrows;
Word by word
- sarac
- (sarat) flying
- chara
- (śara) of arrows
- ālī
- by the lines
- śalabha
- like locusts
- śata
- by hundreds
- bhaṅgura
- broken
- sainikaḥ
- its soldiers
- tarat
- leaping
- turaṅga
- the horses
- śarabhaḥ
- its śarabhas
- śara
- of arrows
- bhāra
- of the weight
- vana
- a forest
- avaniḥ
- its ground
Meaning
The śarabha is a fabulous beast, stronger than a lion; here the charging horses. The ground is so thick with arrows that it is a forest of reeds.