Shloka 26

Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ

Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa

Devanagari script

अग्नेर्वायुसहायस्य गति: कक्ष इवाहवे

Transliteration

agnervāyusahāyasya gatiḥ kakṣa ivāhave

Translation

Sañjaya said: In that battle, his movement was like a wildfire driven by the wind—swift, spreading, and irresistible, consuming whatever lay in its path. The image underscores how, when power is joined with favorable force, it can become overwhelming and morally perilous amid the chaos of war.

Word by Word

• अग्नेः: of fire
• अग्नेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वायुसहायस्य: of (one) having wind as helper
• वायुसहायस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायुसहाय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गतिः: movement, speed
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कक्षः: a dry thicket/brushwood (that blazes)
• कक्षः: Upamana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• अग्नि (fire)
• वायु (wind)
• कक्ष (brushwood/wildfire)
• आहव (battle)