Shloka 80

Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)

Devanagari script

करैस्तु करिण: शीघ्रं जलमादाय सत्वरा: । सिषिचु: पावकं क्रुद्धा: शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,सैकड़ों और हजारोंकी संख्यामें हाथी अपनी सूँड़ोंमें जल लेकर शीघ्रतापूर्वक दौड़े आते और क्रोधपूर्वक उतावलीके साथ आगपर उस जलको उड़ेल दिया करते थे

Transliteration

karais tu kariṇaḥ śīghraṃ jalam ādāya satvarāḥ | siṣicuḥ pāvakaṃ kruddhāḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Then the elephants, swiftly drawing water with their trunks, hurried forward; in anger and great agitation they poured it out upon the fire—by the hundreds and by the thousands—striving to quench the blaze. The scene underscores a collective, urgent response to danger, where strength is turned toward protection rather than destruction.

Word by Word

करैःwith (their) hands/trunks

तुbut/indeed

करिणःelephants

शीघ्रम्quickly

जलम्water

आदायhaving taken

सत्वराःhasty, in great haste

सिषिचुःthey sprinkled/poured

पावकम्fire

क्रुद्धाःangry

शतशःby hundreds, in hundreds

अथand then/also

सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

elephants (kariṇaḥ)

water (jala)

fire (pāvaka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and intensity (even anger and urgency) can be directed toward protection and relief: the elephants use their strength to counter a destructive force, illustrating a communal ethic of safeguarding life and restoring balance in a crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Elephants quickly draw water with their trunks and rush to the scene, repeatedly pouring water onto a raging fire in vast numbers, attempting to extinguish it through coordinated effort.