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
サञ्जयは言った。「その戦いにおいて、彼の動きは風にあおられる野火のごとかった——迅く、広がり、抗しがたく、行く手のすべてを焼き尽くす。この譬えは、力が追い風と結びつくとき、戦の混沌の中でそれが圧倒的となり、道義の上でも危ういものとなり得ることを示している。」
Word by Word
अग्नेःof fire
अग्नेः:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
वायुसहायस्यof (one) having wind as helper
वायुसहायस्य:
Sambandha
TypeAdjective
Rootवायुसहाय
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
गतिःmovement, speed
गतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
कक्षःa dry thicket/brushwood (that blazes)
कक्षः:
Upamana
TypeNoun
Rootकक्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike, as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
आहवेin battle
आहवे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootआहव
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
अ
अग्नि (fire)व
वायु (wind)क
कक्ष (brushwood/wildfire)आ
आहव (battle)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how force multiplied by favorable conditions becomes uncontrollable—like fire fanned by wind—suggesting that in war, unchecked momentum can rapidly turn into indiscriminate destruction, challenging ethical restraint.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s rapid, devastating advance on the battlefield by comparing it to a wind-driven blaze racing through dry brush, conveying speed, spread, and the terror of unstoppable assault.