Shloka 16

सभा-पर्व, अध्याय ६१ — द्रौपदी-प्रश्नः, सभाधर्मः, सत्यवचन-नियमः

Devanagari script

वे अच्छी तरह वशमें किये हुए हैं और राजाओंकी सवारीके काममें आते हैं। युद्धमें वे सब प्रकारके शब्द सहन करनेवाले हैं। उनके दाँत हलदण्डके समान लंबे हैं और शरीर विशाल है। उनमेंसे प्रत्येकके आठ-आठ हथिनियाँ हैं

Transliteration

te suvaśīkṛtāḥ santi rājñāṃ vāhanakārye ca yujyante | yuddhe te sarvaśabdasaṃsahāḥ | teṣāṃ dantā haladaṇḍopamā dīrghāḥ śarīraṃ ca vipulam | teṣāṃ pratyekasya aṣṭau aṣṭau hastinyaḥ santi |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “They are thoroughly tamed and fit for the service of kings as mounts. In battle they can endure every kind of noise and tumult. Their tusks are long like stout plough-handles, and their bodies are massive. Each of them is attended by eight she-elephants.”

Word by Word

तेthey/those

सुwell, thoroughly

वशीकृताःsubdued, brought under control

राजानाम्of kings

वाहनकर्मणिin the work of carrying/serving as mounts

उपयुज्यन्तेare employed/used

युद्धेin battle

तेthey

सर्वशब्दसहाःenduring all sounds/noises

दन्ताःteeth/tusks

हलदण्डसमाḥlike plough-shafts

दीर्घाःlong

शरीरम्body

विशालम्huge, broad

तेषाम्of them

प्रत्येकम्each, individually

अष्टeight

हस्तिन्यःfemale elephants

सन्तिare, exist

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

kings (rājānaḥ)

war/battle (yuddha)

elephants (hastinaḥ)

she-elephants (hastinyaḥ)

tusks (dantāḥ)

plough-handle (haladaṇḍa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined strength: power (elephants) becomes ethically and practically valuable only when controlled (suvaśīkṛta) and directed toward rightful royal duty and protection, especially amid the chaos of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira is describing the qualities and scale of elephants—tamed, battle-ready, huge-bodied with long tusks—and notes the accompanying retinue (eight she-elephants per each), emphasizing royal resources and martial capability in the Sabha context.