Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यं सम तदा योधा विकर्षन्तो विशाम्पते

Transliteration

anyonyam sama tadā yodhā vikarṣanto viśāmpate

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, O lord of the people, the warriors—matched evenly—pulled and dragged at one another in the press of battle, each striving to overpower the other. It showed that when strength meets strength, victory turns on resolve and discipline, not on force alone.

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, each other
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative usage)

• समम्: equally, evenly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• योधाः: warriors
• योधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• विकर्षन्तः: dragging, pulling (apart)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कृश्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine, nominative, plural

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by viśāmpate)
• warriors (yodhāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that in righteous warfare (kṣatriya-dharma), when opponents are evenly matched, outcomes depend on steadfastness, training, and self-control rather than brute strength alone—an ethical reminder that power must be governed by discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighters on the battlefield are locked in close struggle, physically pulling and dragging one another as the battle intensifies, indicating a stalemated, evenly balanced clash.