Shloka 35

Devanagari script

लब्धलक्ष्या रणे राजन्नैरावणसमा युधि । उत्तरात्‌ पर्वतादेते ती4&णैर्दस्युभिरास्थिता:,'ये जो बड़े-बड़े गजराज दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे हैं, ये अंजन नामक दिग्गजके कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए हैं-। इनका स्वभाव बड़ा ही कठोर है। इन्हें युद्धकी अच्छी शिक्षा मिली है। इनके गण्डस्थल और मुखसे मदकी धारा बहती रहती है। वे सब-के-सब सुवर्णमय कवचोंसे विभूषित हैं। राजन्‌! ये पहले भी युद्धस्थलमें अपने लक्ष्यपर विजय पा चुके हैं और समरांगणमें ऐरावतके समान पराक्रम प्रकट करते हैं। उत्तर पर्वत (हिमालय-प्रदेश)-से आये हुए तीखे स्वभाववाले लुटेरे और डाकू इन हाथियोंपर सवार हैं

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

labdhalakṣyā raṇe rājann airāvaṇasamā yudhi |

uttarāt parvatād ete tīkṣṇair dasyubhir āsthitāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, these elephants—already proven in battle, never missing their mark—display prowess in combat equal to Airāvata. They have come from the northern mountains, and they are mounted by fierce bandits and raiders. The scene underscores how the war has drawn in not only trained royal forces but also harsh, predatory elements from the margins, intensifying the conflict’s moral darkness.

Word by Word

लब्धलक्ष्याःhaving attained their aim/target (successful)

रणेin battle

राजन्O king

ऐरावणसमाःequal to Airavata

युधिin combat

उत्तरात्from the northern

पर्वतात्from the mountain

एतेthese

तीक्ष्णैःby fierce/harsh (ones)

दस्युभिःby robbers/bandits

आस्थिताःmounted/occupied (i.e., ridden/held)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'rājan')

Airāvata

Northern mountains (Uttara-parvata; Himalayan region)

Elephants (war-elephants)

Dasyus (bandits/raiders)

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 how war escalates beyond disciplined kṣatriya combat into a sphere where predatory, lawless forces (dasyus) participate, suggesting a drift toward adharma and a worsening ethical atmosphere.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that formidable war-elephants, likened to Airāvata and already battle-proven, have arrived from the northern mountains, and they are being ridden/controlled by fierce bandits and raiders.