Shloka 186

Devanagari script

एकेन सहिता: सड्ख्ये रणे क्रोधवशा गणा: । 'धनेश्वर! एक मनुष्यने बलपूर्वक इस पर्वतको रौंद डाला है और युद्धमें क्रोधवश नामक राक्षसगणोंको मार भगाया है

Transliteration

ekena sahitāḥ saṅkhye raṇe krodhavaśā gaṇāḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: In the thick of battle, bands of beings—driven by wrath—stood together as one. The report conveyed to their lord is that a single man, by sheer force, has trampled the mountain stronghold and routed the wrath-maddened rākṣasas, scattering them after striking them down. The episode underscores how uncontrolled anger leads to ruin, while disciplined strength and resolve can overturn even seemingly impregnable power.

Word by Word

एकेनby one (person)

सहिता:united, together

सङ्ख्येin battle, in combat

रणेin war

क्रोधवशाःunder the sway of anger

गणाःgroups, troops

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhan-eśvara (epithet; likely Kubera, by context)

a single man (unnamed in the given excerpt)

rākṣasa-gaṇas (bands of rākṣasas)

mountain (parvata)

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?

Anger (krodha) clouds judgment and weakens even organized forces; disciplined strength and resolve can overcome larger, wrath-driven groups. The ethical contrast is between uncontrolled passion and controlled power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a battlefield report: although the rākṣasa bands fought together under the sway of anger, a single man has forcefully overrun their mountain position and driven them away after defeating them.