Shloka 16

भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King

Devanagari script

दशाश्वानां सहस्राणि दन्तिनां च तथैव च

Transliteration

daśāśvānāṁ sahasrāṇi dantināṁ ca tathaiva ca

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Tens of thousands of horses, and likewise elephants as well,”—a stark enumeration that underscores the immense scale of the forces being marshalled for war, where sheer numbers and matériel foreshadow the vast suffering and moral weight of the coming conflict.

Word by Word

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: —, —, —

• अश्वानाम्: of horses
• अश्वानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• दन्तिनाम्: of elephants (tusked ones)
• दन्तिनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तथा: likewise/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• horses (aśva)
• elephants (dantin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war is driven and measured by vast resources—horses and elephants—inviting reflection on the ethical burden of large-scale violence and the human cost hidden behind numerical strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting battlefield preparations/strength by listing enormous numbers of cavalry and war-elephants, emphasizing the magnitude of the armies involved.