Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

योधांश्व स्वान्‌ परान्‌ वापि नाभ्यजानज्जिघांसया

Transliteration

yodhāṁś ca svān parān vāpi nābhyajān jijhāṁsayā

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Dans son ardent désir de tuer, il ne reconnaissait plus les guerriers—qu’ils fussent des siens ou de l’ennemi—, montrant comment l’ivresse du combat peut obscurcir le discernement et étouffer la retenue morale.

Word by Word

• योधान्: warriors
• योधान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• स्वान्: one's own
• स्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• परान्: others/enemies
• परान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अभ्यजानत्: recognized/knew
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-ज्ञा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जिघांसया: with the desire to kill
• जिघांसया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिघांसा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• one’s own side (svāḥ)
• opposing side (parāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked aggression in war can destroy viveka (discernment), making a person unable to distinguish friend from foe; this signals an ethical collapse where the impulse to kill overrides dharmic restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment of battlefield frenzy: a combatant, driven by the urge to kill, becomes so blinded that he cannot identify whether the fighters before him are his own allies or enemies.