Shloka 563

Devanagari script

घोरमार्तस्वरं कृत्वा विदुद्राव महागज: । सात्यकिके बाणोंसे पीड़ित हो वह महान्‌ गजराज घोर चीत्कार करके अपनी ही सेनाको कुचलता हुआ भाग निकला

Transliteration

ghoramārtasvaraṃ kṛtvā vidudrāva mahāgajaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Uttering a dreadful, anguished cry, the great elephant bolted away. Wounded by Sātyaki’s arrows, it fled in panic, trampling its own ranks—an image of how uncontrolled fear in war turns strength into harm and causes suffering even among one’s own side.

Word by Word

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आर्तस्वरम्: a distressed cry/voice
• आर्तस्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्तस्वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made/uttering
• कृत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• विदुद्राव: ran away/fled
• विदुद्राव: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महागजः: the great elephant
• महागजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahāgaja (great elephant)
• Sātyaki (implied by context: wounded by his arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even formidable power, when seized by pain and fear, can become destructive to one’s own side; the verse highlights the ethical cost of war—panic and suffering spread beyond the intended target, undermining order (dharma) within an army.

What is happening in the narrative?

A great elephant, struck and tormented by Sātyaki’s arrows, gives a terrifying cry and runs off in terror, crushing its own troops as it flees.