Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

विमर्द: सुमहानासीदल्पानां बहुभि: सह

Transliteration

vimardaḥ sumahān āsīd alpānāṃ bahubhiḥ saha

Translation

Sañjaya said: A very great and crushing melee arose, as the few were pressed into combat against the many—an image of the war’s brutal imbalance and the peril faced by those outnumbered.

Word by Word

• विमर्दः: clash, fierce fight
• विमर्दः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमर्द
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहान् (महान्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (to be)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular

• अल्पानाम्: of the few / of the small (in number)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• बहुभिः: by/with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the harsh reality of war: when numbers and force dominate, the few face overwhelming danger. Ethically, it hints at the tragedy of conflict where valor may be tested not by choice but by circumstance and imbalance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an intense close-quarters clash has erupted, characterized by the few being engaged amid—or against—the many, indicating a fierce and uneven encounter on the battlefield.