Shloka 104

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

Devanagari script

अन्तरेण कलिड्डानां पाण्डवानां च वाहिनीम्‌ । तां संततार दुस्‍्तारां भीमसेनो महाबल:,कलिंग और पाण्डव-सेनाके बीचमें बहनेवाली उस रक्तकी दुस्तर नदीको महाबली भीमसेन अपने पराक्रमसे पार कर गये

Transliteration

antareṇa kaliṅgānāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca vāhinīm | tāṃ santatāra dustarāṃ bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Between the forces of the Kaliṅgas and the Pāṇḍavas there flowed a dreadful, hard-to-cross river of blood; yet Bhīmasena, mighty in strength, crossed it by the sheer force of his valor—pressing forward through the horror of war without faltering.

Word by Word

• अन्तरेण: between
• अन्तरेण: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तरेण
• Form: avyaya (governs accusative; sense: 'between/without')

• कलिङ्गानाम्: of the Kalingas
• कलिङ्गानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिङ्ग
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: avyaya (conjunction)

• वाहिनीम्: army/host
• वाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• संततार: crossed over
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ
• Form: perfect (liṭ), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• दुस्ताराम्: hard to cross
• दुस्ताराम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्तार
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• महाबलः: mighty-strong
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Kaliṅgas
• Pāṇḍavas
• vāhinī (army)
• river of blood (raktā nadī, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the terrifying moral and physical cost of war—symbolized by a ‘river of blood’—and simultaneously presents Bhīma’s unwavering kṣatriya resolve: in the face of overwhelming horror, he advances to fulfill his martial duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the clash between the Kaliṅga contingent and the Pāṇḍava forces. Amidst the slaughter, a metaphorical (or vividly described) river of blood lies between the armies, and Bhīmasena forces his way across it through sheer strength and courage.