Shloka 86

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

Devanagari script

सर्वकालिड्रसैन्यानां मनांसि समकम्पयत्‌ । मोहश्नापि कलिड्रानामाविवेश परंतप,परंतप! उस शंखनादके द्वारा उन्होंने सम्पूर्ण कलिंगोंके हृदयमें कम्प मचा दिया और उन सबपर बड़ा भारी मोह छा गया

Transliteration

sarvakāliṅga-sainyānāṁ manāṁsi samakampayat | mohaś cāpi kaliṅgānām āviveśa paraṁtapa ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Par ce son de conque, il fit trembler le cœur de toutes les troupes de Kalinga ; et une lourde stupeur s’empara des Kalinga, tant sa puissance était écrasante au milieu de la guerre.

Word by Word

• सर्वकालिङ्गसैन्यानाम्: of all the Kalinga armies
• सर्वकालिङ्गसैन्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-कालिङ्ग-सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• मनांसि: minds
• मनांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• समकम्पयत्: shook, caused to tremble
• समकम्पयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular

• मोहः: delusion, bewilderment
• मोहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• कालिङ्गानाम्: of the Kalingas
• कालिङ्गानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• आविवेश: entered, took possession (of)
• आविवेश: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes (epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra (implied by the vocative paraṁtapa)
• Kalinga troops (Kaliṅga-sainyāḥ)
• Conch-blast (śaṅkha-nāda; implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how sound and reputation on the battlefield can unsettle the mind: when courage collapses into moha (bewilderment), judgment and resolve fail. Ethically, it underscores the Mahabharata’s recurring warning that inner steadiness is as decisive as weapons.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that a powerful conch-blast (from the opposing side, in context) causes the Kalinga troops’ hearts to tremble, and a great confusion or panic spreads among them.