Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 3

Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host

Devanagari script

गजानां भीमरूपाणां द्रवतां नि:ःस्वनो महान्‌ | अश्रूयत यथा काले जलदानां नभस्तले

Transliteration

gajānāṃ bhīmarūpāṇāṃ dravatāṃ niḥsvano mahān | aśrūyata yathā kāle jaladānāṃ nabhastale ||

Translation

ধাৱমান ভীমৰূপ হাতীবোৰৰ পৰা এক মহা ভয়ংকৰ গর্জন শুনা গ’ল—যেন ঋতুকালে আকাশত বৰষুণীয়া মেঘৰ গম্ভীৰ গর্জন।

Word by Word

• गजानाम्: of elephants
• गजानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• भीमरूपाणाम्: of terrible-formed (fearsome-looking)
• भीमरूपाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमरूप
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• द्रवताम्: of (those) running / rushing
• द्रवताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: द्रवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• निःस्वनः: sound, roar
• निःस्वनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःस्वन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महान्: great, loud
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अश्रूयत: was heard
• अश्रूयत: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada (passive sense)

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• काले: at (the proper) time / in season
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• जलदानाम्: of rain-clouds
• जलदानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• नभःतले: in the expanse/surface of the sky
• नभःतले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्तल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• elephants
• rain-clouds
• sky

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how war magnifies fear and momentum through sensory power: the thunder-like roar of charging elephants conveys the overwhelming force that can unsettle judgment, reminding readers that ethical steadiness (dharma-buddhi) is tested amid terrifying spectacle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: fearsome elephants are rushing forward, and their tremendous noise is heard, compared to the seasonal thunder of rain-clouds spreading across the sky.