Shloka 122

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

Devanagari script

“वीरवर! बड़े सौभाग्यकी बात है कि कलिंगराज भानुमान्‌, राजकुमार केतुमान्‌, कलिंगवीर शक्रदेव तथा अन्य बहुसंख्यक कलिंग-सैनिक आपके द्वारा युद्धमें मारे गये ।।

Transliteration

vīravara! baḍe saubhāgyakī bāta hai ki kaliṅgarāja bhānumān, rājakumāra ketumān, kaliṅgavīra śakradeva tathā anya bahusaṅkhyaka kaliṅga-sainika āpake dvārā yuddhe māre gaye. svabāhubalavīryeṇa nāgāśvarathasaṅkulaḥ | mahāpuruṣabhūyiṣṭho dhīrayodhaniṣevitaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O best of heroes, it is indeed a matter of great fortune that in battle you have slain the king of Kaliṅga, Bhānumān, the prince Ketumān, the Kaliṅga champion Śakradeva, and many other Kaliṅga soldiers. By the strength and valor of your own arms, you have made the field crowded with elephants, horses, and chariots; it is a scene dominated by great men and frequented by steadfast warriors.”

Word by Word

• स्व: by one’s own
• स्व: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• बाहु: arm
• बाहु: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• बल: strength
• बल: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• वीर्येण: by valor/energy
• वीर्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• नाग: elephants
• नाग: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (in compound sense), Plural/Singular

• अश्व: horses
• अश्व: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (in compound sense), Plural/Singular

• रथ: chariots
• रथ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (in compound sense), Plural/Singular

• संकुलः: crowded/thronged
• संकुलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महापुरुष: great men
• महापुरुष: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (in compound sense), Plural

• भूयिष्ठः: mostly/abundantly
• भूयिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धीर: steadfast/wise
• धीर: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental/Genitive (in compound sense), Singular

• योधन: battle/fighting
• योधन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योधन
• Form: Masculine, Locative (in compound sense), Singular

• निषेवितः: frequented/attended/engaged in
• निषेवितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-सेव्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaliṅga
• Bhānumān (king of Kaliṅga)
• Ketumān (prince)
• Śakradeva (Kaliṅga warrior)
• Kaliṅga soldiers
• elephants (nāga)
• horses (aśva)
• chariots (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames battlefield success as ‘saubhāgya’ (good fortune) and highlights kṣatriya-dharma: valor, steadfastness, and personal effort (svabāhu-bala-vīrya) are praised, while the grim cost—many slain warriors—is presented as the accepted currency of righteous war in epic ethics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, praising a hero’s martial achievement: key Kaliṅga leaders (Bhānumān, Ketumān, Śakradeva) and many Kaliṅga troops have been killed, and the battlefield is described as densely packed with elephants, horses, and chariots, frequented by resolute warriors.