Shloka 12

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यं सम तदा योधा विकर्षन्तो विशाम्पते

Transliteration

anyonyam sama tadā yodhā vikarṣanto viśāmpate

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Da, o Herr der Völker, zerrten und schleppten die Krieger—an Kraft einander ebenbürtig—einander in dem Gedränge der Schlacht, jeder bemüht, den anderen niederzuringen. Das Bild zeigt: Wo Stärke auf Stärke trifft, entscheidet der Sieg durch Entschlossenheit und Zucht, nicht durch bloße Gewalt.

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, each other
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative usage)

• समम्: equally, evenly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• योधाः: warriors
• योधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• विकर्षन्तः: dragging, pulling (apart)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कृश्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine, nominative, plural

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by viśāmpate)
• warriors (yodhāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that in righteous warfare (kṣatriya-dharma), when opponents are evenly matched, outcomes depend on steadfastness, training, and self-control rather than brute strength alone—an ethical reminder that power must be governed by discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighters on the battlefield are locked in close struggle, physically pulling and dragging one another as the battle intensifies, indicating a stalemated, evenly balanced clash.