Shloka 27

Devanagari script

प्रभिन्नाश्न महानागा विनीता हस्तिसादिभि: । परस्परं समासाद्य संनिपेतुरभीतवत्‌,जिनके मस्तकसे मदकी धारा बहती थी, ऐसे बड़े-बड़े गजराज गजारोहियोंद्वारा प्रेरित हो एक-दूसरेके पास पहुँचकर निर्भीक हो परस्पर भिड़ जाते थे

Transliteration

prabhinnāśnān mahānāgā vinītā hastisādibhiḥ | parasparaṃ samāsādya saṃnipetur abhītavat ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: Great lordly elephants, their temples streaming with the rut-fluid of excitement, urged on by their riders and drivers, closed in upon one another and, fearless, crashed together in mutual combat. The scene underscores how, in the fury of war, even mighty creatures are driven by human command into violent collision, amplifying the battlefield’s relentless momentum.

Word by Word

प्रभिन्नाश्नाःwith split/oozing temples (in musth)

महानागाःgreat elephants

विनीताःdriven/urged on

हस्तिसादिभिःby elephant-riders (mahouts)

परस्परम्each other / mutually

समासाद्यhaving approached / having come up to

संनिपेतुःthey clashed together / fell upon (one another)

अभीतवत्fearlessly, as if unafraid

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

sañjaya

mahānāga (war-elephants)

hastisāda (elephant-riders/drivers)

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?

The verse highlights the intensification of war: immense power (the elephants) becomes an instrument of destruction when directed by human will. Ethically, it points to how conflict mobilizes and compels even non-human strength into violence, magnifying the consequences of martial ambition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes war-elephants in musth being urged on by their riders and handlers; they advance toward opposing elephants and collide fearlessly, engaging in close combat amid the larger battle.