Shloka 463

Devanagari script

मत्ताविव महानागौ चकृषाते पुन: पुनः । वे मदस्रावी मतवाले गजराजोंके समान अपने अंगोंसे रुधिरकी धारा बहाते हुए एक- दूसरेसे भिड़कर बारंबार खींचातानी करने लगे

Transliteration

mattāv iva mahānāgau cakṛṣāte punaḥ punaḥ |

Translation

Laksana dua gajah besar yang mabuk birahi, mereka bergulat berulang-ulang, masing-masing berusaha menyeret yang lain; tubuh mereka mengucurkan darah.

Word by Word

• मत्तौ: two intoxicated (ones)
• मत्तौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• महानागौ: two great elephants
• महानागौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• चकृषाते: they two drag/pull
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष्
• Form: Present, Third, Dual, Atmanepada

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• two combatants (unnamed in this pāda)
• great elephants (simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, unchecked rage and pride can make even great heroes resemble rut-maddened elephants—powerful yet driven by impulse—suggesting the ethical tension between kṣatriya valor and the dehumanizing force of fury.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a close-quarters struggle: two fighters repeatedly grapple and try to drag one another, likened to two massive musth elephants locked in a contest, with blood flowing from their bodies.