Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

योधांश्व स्वान्‌ परान्‌ वापि नाभ्यजानज्जिघांसया

Transliteration

yodhāṁś ca svān parān vāpi nābhyajān jijhāṁsayā

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: In seinem wilden Verlangen zu töten erkannte er die Krieger nicht mehr—ob eigene oder feindliche—und zeigte damit, wie Kampfesrausch Urteilskraft und sittliche Selbstzucht verdunkeln kann.

Word by Word

• योधान्: warriors
• योधान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• स्वान्: one's own
• स्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• परान्: others/enemies
• परान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अभ्यजानत्: recognized/knew
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-ज्ञा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जिघांसया: with the desire to kill
• जिघांसया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिघांसा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• one’s own side (svāḥ)
• opposing side (parāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked aggression in war can destroy viveka (discernment), making a person unable to distinguish friend from foe; this signals an ethical collapse where the impulse to kill overrides dharmic restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment of battlefield frenzy: a combatant, driven by the urge to kill, becomes so blinded that he cannot identify whether the fighters before him are his own allies or enemies.