Shloka 2
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
वणिजो नावि भिन्नायां यथागाधेडप्लवे<र्णवे । अपारे पतिमच्छन्तो हते शूरे महात्मना
vaṇijo nāvi bhinnāyāṃ yathāgādhe ’ḍaplave ’rṇave | apāre patim acchanto hate śūre mahātmanā ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Seperti para saudagar yang kapalnya hancur di samudra dalam yang tak bertepi, lalu tanpa daya mencari pelindung, demikian pula ketika sang pahlawan agung itu gugur, para kesatria yang kehilangan sandaran menoleh ke segala arah mencari pemimpin yang dapat menyelamatkan dan meneguhkan mereka.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to show how an army’s morale and coherence depend on a capable protector-leader: when the heroic support is removed, people feel like shipwrecked merchants in a shoreless sea—exposed, fearful, and urgently seeking guidance.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield reaction after a great hero has been slain: the fighters, suddenly deprived of their main support, become disoriented and look for someone to lead and protect them, like shipwrecked traders searching for rescue in the open ocean.