Shloka 20

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

शक्रदेवस्तु समरे विसृजन्‌ सायकान्‌ बहून्‌

Transliteration

śakradevas tu samare visṛjan sāyakān bahūn

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。激戦のただ中で、シャクラ――神々の主――は多くの矢を次々と放ち、戦において解き放たれる圧倒的でありながら規律ある力の姿を思わせた。

Word by Word

• शक्रदेवः: Shakra (Indra), the god
• शक्रदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्रदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विसृजन्: releasing, discharging
• विसृजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विसृज्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सायकान्: arrows
• सायकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śakra (Indra)
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily functions as epic narration: it heightens the sense of martial intensity by invoking Indra (Śakra) as a benchmark of battlefield power, suggesting that disciplined, concentrated action can appear ‘divine’ in its effectiveness—while remaining within the grim reality of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combat scene where a warrior’s arrow-shower is likened to Śakra (Indra) in battle, emphasizing a rapid, abundant discharge of missiles and the escalating ferocity of the encounter.