Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

चरन्तं गदया वीरं दण्डहस्तमिवान्तकम्‌ । योधयामास समरे कालिड्र: सह सेनया

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

carantaṁ gadayā vīraṁ daṇḍahastam ivāntakam |

yodhayāmāsa samare kāliṅgaḥ saha senayā ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Ketika Bhīmasena yang gagah berkelana di medan perang dengan gada di tangan, ia tampak laksana Maut sendiri—Yama pemegang tongkat hukuman. Bagaimanakah raja Kaliṅga, bersama pasukannya, bertempur melawannya dalam pertempuran itu?”

Word by Word

• चरन्तम्: moving about, roaming
• चरन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• वीरम्: the hero
• वीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दण्डहस्तम्: having a staff in hand
• दण्डहस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डहस्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अन्तकम्: Yama, the Ender (death)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• योधयामास: made (him) fight; fought (against)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: लिट् (perfect), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative (णिच्)

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कालिङ्गः: the Kalinga (king/warrior of Kalinga)
• कालिङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• सेनया: with (his) army
• सेनया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

ध्ृतराष्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīmasena
• Kaliṅga (king of Kaliṅga)
• Antaka (Death/Yama)
• daṇḍa (staff of punishment)
• gadā (mace)
• senā (army)
• samara (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the awe-inspiring force of righteous martial power: Bhīma’s presence is likened to Yama, suggesting that in war the consequences of adharma and the inevitability of death become immediate. It also reflects the epic’s ethical tension—valor and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) operate within a field of grave moral stakes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe how the Kaliṅga king, supported by his army, fought against Bhīmasena, who is depicted as roaming the battlefield with a mace and appearing like Death personified.