Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

खड्गेन शितधारेण संयुगे गजयोधिनाम्‌ | पदातिरेक: संक्रुद्धः शत्रूणां भयवर्धन:

Transliteration

khaḍgena śitadhāreṇa saṁyuge gajayodhinām | padātirekaḥ saṁkruddhaḥ śatrūṇāṁ bhayavardhanaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: En el fragor del combate contra los guerreros de elefante, un infante enfurecido, blandiendo una espada aguda, de filo como navaja, se convirtió en fuente de creciente terror para el enemigo. El verso destaca cómo, en la guerra, la resolución y la destreza pueden hacer temible incluso a quien va a pie frente a fuerzas que parecen superiores.

Word by Word

खड्गेनwith a sword

शितधारेणwith a sharp-edged (one)

संयुगेin battle

गज-योधिनाम्of the elephant-warriors

पदाति-एकःone foot-soldier

संक्रुद्धःenraged

शत्रूणाम्of the enemies

भय-वर्धनःincreasing fear

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

sword (khaḍga)

elephant-warriors (gajayodhinaḥ)

enemies (śatravaḥ)

battle (saṁyuga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a martial-ethical insight: courage, disciplined skill, and fierce resolve can shift the balance of fear and morale in battle, so apparent disadvantages (being on foot against elephant troops) do not determine outcomes by themselves.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment in which a single enraged infantryman, armed with a very sharp sword, confronts elephant-mounted fighters and becomes a cause of fear among the opposing side.