Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विज्ञायैतन्निशायुद्ध जिघांसुर्भीममाहवे । स मत्त इव मातड्: संक़्रुद्ध इव चोरग:

Transliteration

vijñāyaitanniśāyuddhaṃ jighāṃsurbhīmamāhave | sa matta iva mātaṅgaḥ saṃkruddha iva coragaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Mengetahui bahwa ini adalah pertempuran malam, ia memasuki laga dengan niat membunuh Bhīma. Di medan tempur ia mengamuk bagaikan gajah mabuk, dan bagaikan ular yang tersulut murka.

Word by Word

• विज्ञाय: having known
• विज्ञाय: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निशायुद्धम्: night-battle
• निशायुद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशायुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जिघांसुः: desiring to kill
• जिघांसुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → जिघांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सुन्/उ (desiderative adjective: 'wishing to'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भीमम्: Bhima
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मत्तः: maddened, intoxicated
• मत्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• मातङ्गः: elephant
• मातङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सङ्क्रुद्धः: enraged
• सङ्क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-क्रुध् (धातु) → सङ्क्रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• चोरगः: thief (robber)
• चोरगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• night-battle (niśāyuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the conditions of war—especially a night-battle—can intensify tamasic rage and single-minded violence. It implicitly contrasts disciplined kṣatriya conduct with the moral peril of fighting in darkness, where anger and the urge to kill can eclipse restraint and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior who, recognizing that the fighting has shifted into a night engagement, rushes into combat with the specific aim of killing Bhīma. His ferocity is compared to a musth-elephant and an enraged serpent, emphasizing uncontrolled aggression on the battlefield.