Shloka 26

Devanagari script

जघान गदया भीमस्तस्य राज्ञ: परिच्छदम्‌ | ततो<न्येडभिहता नागा रथाश्ष शतशो बलात्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

jaghāna gadayā bhīmas tasya rājñaḥ paricchadam |

tato 'nye 'bhihatā nāgā rathāś ca śataśo balāt ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Mit seiner Keule zerschlug Bhīma die königlichen Prunkstücke und Insignien jenes Königs. Dann streckte er mit bloßer Gewalt auch weitere Elefanten nieder und zerschmetterte Hunderte von Streitwagen. Die Szene hebt Bhīmas überwältigende Kriegsmacht im Chaos der Schlacht hervor: Die Vernichtung von Zeichen und Gerät eines Königs kündet vom Zusammenbruch seines unmittelbaren Schutzes und seines Ansehens inmitten der unablässigen Gewalt des Krieges.

Word by Word

• जघान: slew/struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• परिच्छदम्: paraphernalia/retinue/equipment
• परिच्छदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिच्छद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिहताः: struck down/defeated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-हन् (√हन्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नागाः: elephants
• नागाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतशः: by hundreds/in hundreds
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशः

• बलात्: by force/forcibly
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma (Bhīmasena)
• a king (unnamed in this verse)
• gadā (mace)
• nāga (elephants)
• ratha (chariots)
• royal accoutrements/insignia (paricchada)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethos: decisive action and overwhelming strength can break an enemy’s protection and morale (symbolized by smashing a king’s paricchada). Ethically, it reflects the grim reality of dharma-in-war, where duty-driven combat entails large-scale destruction and the rapid reversal of fortune.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma, wielding his mace, destroys the royal gear of a king and then proceeds to strike down many elephants and hundreds of chariots by force, depicting Bhīma’s rampage and dominance in the battle.