Shloka 326

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

Devanagari script

चिच्छेद सहसा राजन्नसम्भ्रान्तो वरासिना । राजन! वे तोमर अभी भीमसेनतक पहुँच ही नहीं पाये थे कि उन महाबाहु पाण्डुकुमारने बिना किसी घबराहटके अपनी अच्छी तलवारसे सहसा उन्हें आकाशमें ही काट डाला

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | ciccheda sahasā rājann asambhrānto varāsinā |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: O König, noch ehe jene Wurfspeere Bhīmasena erreichen konnten, hieb der mächtigarmige Sohn Pāṇḍus, ohne die Fassung zu verlieren, sie mit seinem vortrefflichen Schwert jäh schon in der Luft entzwei. So zeigte er Wachsamkeit, Selbstbeherrschung und geschulte Kunst mitten in der Gewalt des Krieges.

Word by Word

• चिच्छेद: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• सहसा: suddenly, at once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• असम्भ्रान्तः: unperturbed, unconfused
• असम्भ्रान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असम्भ्रान्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वरासिना: with an excellent sword
• वरासिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरासि
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīmasena
• Pāṇḍu (as 'son of Pāṇḍu')
• tomara (javelins/spears)
• asi (sword)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in extreme conflict, the ideal warrior acts with steadiness (asambhrānta), using trained discernment and restraint rather than fear-driven impulse; composure becomes an ethical strength that prevents reckless harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that incoming tomara-weapons had not yet reached Bhīma when the mighty Pāṇḍava, remaining calm, swiftly sliced them apart in the air with his sword.