Shloka 2
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
वणिजो नावि भिन्नायां यथागाधेडप्लवे<र्णवे । अपारे पतिमच्छन्तो हते शूरे महात्मना
vaṇijo nāvi bhinnāyāṃ yathāgādhe ’ḍaplave ’rṇave | apāre patim acchanto hate śūre mahātmanā ||
قال سانجيا: «كما أن التجّار إذا تحطّمت سفينتهم في لُجّة بحرٍ عميقٍ لا شاطئ له، التمسوا—وهم عاجزون—حامياً يلوذون به؛ كذلك حين قُتل ذلك البطل العظيم النفس، أخذ المحاربون—وقد فقدوا السند—يتلفّتون طلباً لقائدٍ ينقذهم ويثبّت صفوفهم.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to show how an army’s morale and coherence depend on a capable protector-leader: when the heroic support is removed, people feel like shipwrecked merchants in a shoreless sea—exposed, fearful, and urgently seeking guidance.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield reaction after a great hero has been slain: the fighters, suddenly deprived of their main support, become disoriented and look for someone to lead and protect them, like shipwrecked traders searching for rescue in the open ocean.