Shloka 256

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

Devanagari script

रथैरनेकसाहसैर्भीमस्यावारयद्‌ दिश: । अपने पुत्रको मारा गया देख कलिंगराजने कई हजार रथोंके द्वारा भीमसेनकी सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंको रोक लिया

Transliteration

rathair aneka-sāhasair bhīmasyāvārayad diśaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als der König von Kaliṅga seinen eigenen Sohn erschlagen sah, sperrte er, von Schmerz und Zorn getrieben, mit vielen Tausenden von Streitwagen alle Richtungen um Bhīmasena ab—ein Akt verzweifelter Vergeltung inmitten des moralischen Chaos des Krieges.

Word by Word

• रथैः: by chariots
• रथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अनेक: many
• अनेक: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• साहसैः: thousands
• साहसैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• भीमस्य: of Bhima
• भीमस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अवारयत्: blocked/checked/warded off
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति, caus.)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दिशः: directions (quarters)
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma (Bhīmasena)
• Kaliṅgarāja (King of Kaliṅga)
• ratha (chariots)
• diś (directions/quarters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how personal loss in war can rapidly turn into retaliatory action; it implicitly warns that grief and anger can drive escalation, testing dharma even for kṣatriyas bound to fight.

What is happening in the narrative?

After his son is killed, the king of Kaliṅga responds by deploying many thousands of chariots to block and surround Bhīmasena from all sides, attempting to check his advance on the battlefield.