Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

शक्रदेवस्तु समरे विसृजन्‌ सायकान्‌ बहून्‌

Transliteration

śakradevas tu samare visṛjan sāyakān bahūn

Translation

Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Śakra—lord of the gods—kept releasing many arrows, evoking the image of overwhelming, disciplined force unleashed in war.

Word by Word

• शक्रदेवः: Shakra (Indra), the god
• शक्रदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्रदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विसृजन्: releasing, discharging
• विसृजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विसृज्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सायकान्: arrows
• सायकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śakra (Indra)
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily functions as epic narration: it heightens the sense of martial intensity by invoking Indra (Śakra) as a benchmark of battlefield power, suggesting that disciplined, concentrated action can appear ‘divine’ in its effectiveness—while remaining within the grim reality of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combat scene where a warrior’s arrow-shower is likened to Śakra (Indra) in battle, emphasizing a rapid, abundant discharge of missiles and the escalating ferocity of the encounter.