Shloka 15

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 18: सेनानिनादः, ध्वज-दीप्तिः, भीष्मरक्षण-व्यवस्था च

Battle Muster: Soundscape, Banners, and the Protection of Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

अनीकं दशसाहस्र॑ कुझ्जराणां तरस्विनाम्‌ | मागधो यत्र नृपतिस्तद्‌ रथानीकमन्वयात्‌

Transliteration

anīkaṃ daśasāhasraṃ kuñjarāṇāṃ tarasvinām | māgadho yatra nṛpatis tad rathānīkam anvayāt |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “There was a battle-array of ten thousand powerful elephants; and the chariot-division where the king of Magadha was stationed advanced in support of it.”

Word by Word

• अनीकम्: army-division, troop
• अनीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• दशसाहस्रम्: ten-thousand (in number)
• दशसाहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशसाहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कुञ्जराणाम्: of elephants
• कुञ्जराणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तरस्विनाम्: of the mighty/impetuous
• तरस्विनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मागधः: the king of Magadha (Jarāsandha)
• मागधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• नृपतिः: king
• नृपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रथानीकम्: chariot-troop, chariot-division
• रथानीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्वयात्: followed, went after
• अन्वयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + इ (धातु: इ)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Magadha
• king of Magadha
• elephant corps (kuñjara-anīka)
• chariot corps (ratha-anīka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined coordination in warfare: distinct units (elephants and chariots) move in ordered support under royal command, implying that power is most effective when organized and directed rather than merely amassed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a specific deployment on the battlefield: a massive elephant division is present, and the chariot division associated with the king of Magadha advances behind/along with it, indicating a structured formation and reinforcement.