Shloka 2

शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्

Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally

Devanagari script

दुर्योधनस्तु द्विदमारुह्माचलसंनिभम्‌ । छत्रेण प्रियमाणेन वीज्यमानश्न चामरै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | duryodhanas tu dvipadam āruhya acalasaṁnibham | chatreṇa priyamāṇena vījyamānaś ca cāmaraiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Duryodhana, however, mounted a mighty elephant that looked like a mountain. He was honored with a royal parasol held over him and was fanned with yak-tail whisks—an image of kingly pride and outward splendor set against the grim moral weight of the war.

Word by Word

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• द्विपदम्: the elephant (lit. two-footed/with two feet in front)
• द्विपदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विपद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• अचल-संनिभम्: resembling a mountain
• अचल-संनिभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचलसंनिभ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• छत्रेण: with an umbrella/parasol
• छत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रियमाणेन: being held/borne (over him)
• प्रियमाणेन: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रि (प्रियते)
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, Passive

• वीज्यमानः: being fanned
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीज्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive

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

• चामरैः: with yak-tail fans (chowries)
• चामरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• elephant (dvipada)
• royal parasol (chatra)
• cāmara whisks (cāmara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between external majesty (parasol, fans, elephant like a mountain) and the inner ethical crisis of war: royal display can amplify pride and delusion, reminding readers that power and ceremony do not guarantee righteousness (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Duryodhana taking position by mounting a huge elephant and being ceremonially attended with a parasol and cāmara fans, emphasizing his kingly posture and the battlefield pageantry surrounding him.