Shloka 42

Devanagari script

पाण्डवीं समरे सेनां सम्ममर्द स कुज्जर: । यथा वनगजो राजन मृदनंश्चवरति पद्मिनीम्‌,राजन्‌! घटोत्कच अपने पौरुषके लिये विख्यात, पराक्रमी, शूरवीर था। वरुण और यमराज भी उस वीरको समरभूमिमें परास्त नहीं कर सकते थे। उसीको वहाँ रणक्षेत्रमें जीतकर भगदत्तका वह हाथी समरांगणमें पाण्डवसेनाका उसी प्रकार मर्दन करने लगा, जैसे वनैला हाथी सरोवरमें कमलिनीको रौंदता हुआ विचरता है

Transliteration

pāṇḍavīṃ samare senāṃ sammamarda sa kuñjaraḥ | yathā vanagajo rājan mṛdnann iva carati padminīm ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: In the battle, that elephant crushed the Pāṇḍava army, O King, just as a wild forest-elephant tramples and roams through a lotus-filled lake.

Word by Word

पाण्डवींPāṇḍava (belonging to the Pāṇḍavas)

समरेin battle

सेनाम्army

सम्ममर्दcrushed, trampled

सःhe/that (one)

कुञ्जरःelephant

यथाas, just as

वनगजःa wild/forest elephant

राजन्O king

मृद्नन्crushing, trampling

चand

विचरतिmoves about, roams

पद्मिनीम्lotus-pond / lotus-bed (lit. lotus-bearing [place])

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍava army

elephant (Bhagadatta’s war-elephant, implied by context)

forest-elephant

lotus-pond (padminī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a stark simile to highlight how, in war, concentrated force can devastate the vulnerable many. Ethically, it invites reflection on the cost of martial power and the fragility of life amid kṣatriya conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a war-elephant is crushing the Pāṇḍava forces on the battlefield, likened to a wild elephant trampling a lotus-pond.