Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

जघान रथिनश्वापि बलवान रिपुमर्दन: । शत्रुओंका मर्दन करनेवाले बलवान भीम युद्धमें रथारोहियोंके रथोंके ईषादण्ड और जूए काटकर उन रथियोंका भी संहार कर डालते थे || ४८ ह ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

jaghāna rathinaś cāpi balavān ripumardanaḥ |

śatrūṇāṃ mardana-karaṇe balavān bhīma yuddhe rathārohīṇāṃ rathānām īṣā-daṇḍān ca yūgāni ca chittvā tān rathino 'pi saṃharati sma ||

bhīmasenaś caran mārgān subahūn pratyadṛśyata |

tasmin kāle pāṇḍu-nandanaḥ bhīmasenaḥ aneka-mārgeṣu vicarann iva dṛśyate sma |

sa khaḍga-yuddhasya bhrānta-āviddha-udbhrānta-āpluta-prasṛta-pluta-sampāta-samudīrṇa-ādīn bahūn pāñcarān darśayām āsa ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Le puissant Bhīma, fameux pour broyer ses ennemis, frappait même les guerriers des chars. Dans la mêlée, résolu à briser la force adverse, il tranchait les timons et les jougs des chars, et par là détruisait aussi ceux qui les montaient. Alors Bhīmasena, fils de Pāṇḍu, était vu parcourant maintes voies du champ de bataille, déployant d’innombrables passes d’épée—feintes, tailles tournoyantes, volte-face soudaines, bonds, ruées en avant, élans sautés, piqués plongeants et assauts puissants, en vagues—si bien que sa prouesse devint l’instrument visible de la cause des Pāṇḍava dans l’éthique sombre de la guerre.

Word by Word

• जघान: killed / slew
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), परिपूर्ण-भूत (perfect), प्रथम, एकवचन

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

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

• बलवान्: strong, mighty
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रिपु-मर्दनः: enemy-crusher (destroyer of foes)
• रिपु-मर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपुमर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bhima (Bhimasena)
• Pandu (as patronymic reference: Pandu-nandana)
• chariot-warriors (rathinaḥ)
• chariots (ratha)
• pole-shaft/drawbar (īṣā-daṇḍa)
• yoke (yūga)
• sword (khaḍga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how martial excellence is framed within kṣatriya-dharma: Bhima’s strength is not mere rage but a directed, tactical force aimed at disabling the enemy’s war-machines (chariots) and thereby protecting his side. It also implies the ethical tension of war—skill and duty operating amid inevitable destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes Bhima’s battlefield dominance: he cuts key chariot components (pole-shafts and yokes), causing chariot-warriors to be slain or rendered helpless, and he is seen ranging across many parts of the field while exhibiting numerous sword-fighting maneuvers.