Shloka 19

हयारोहाश्व बहव: परिवार्य गजोत्तमान्‌ | तलशब्दरवांश्वक्रु: सम्पतन्तस्ततस्तत:,बहुत-से घुड़सवार उत्तम गजराजोंको चारों ओरसे घेरकर इधर-उधर दौड़ने और ताली पीटने लगे। इससे जब वे विशालकाय हाथी दौड़ने और भागने लगते, तब वे घुड़सवार अगल-बगलसे और पीछेकी ओरसे उनपर बाणोंकी चोट करते थे

sañjaya uvāca | hayārohāś ca bahavaḥ parivārya gajottamān | tālaśabdaravāṁś cakruḥ sampatantas tatas tataḥ ||

サンジャヤは言った。多くの騎兵が最上の戦象を取り囲み、あちらこちらへ駆け回って手を打ち鳴らし、轟く騒乱を起こした。その喧噪に驚いた巨象は走り出して散り、騎兵は左右の脇と背後から矢を浴びせた――音で恐怖を煽り、恐慌と追撃で最強の陣すら折る、計算された戦の残酷さの光景である。

हयारोहाःhorse-riders
हयारोहाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootहयारोह (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
अश्वाःhorses
अश्वाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
बहवःmany
बहवः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
परिवार्यhaving surrounded
परिवार्य:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootपरि-√वृ (धातु)
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active
गजोत्तमान्the best elephants
गजोत्तमान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तलशब्दरवान्having the noise of clapping/palm-sound
तलशब्दरवान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootतलशब्दरव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अक्रुःthey made/did
अक्रुः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√कृ (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
सम्पतन्तःrushing/falling upon
सम्पतन्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-√पत् (धातु)
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
ततःthen/thereupon
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
ततःthen/thereupon
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
H
horsemen (hayārohāḥ)
E
elephants (gajottamāḥ)
C
clapping/din (tāla-śabda-rava)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how warfare often relies not only on strength but on manipulation of fear and confusion—using noise and encirclement to panic powerful animals and then exploit their vulnerability. It implicitly contrasts strategic success with the ethical harshness of such methods.

Sañjaya describes a battlefield tactic: horsemen surround elite war-elephants, create a loud uproar by clapping and shouting, causing the elephants to bolt; as they flee or turn, the riders attack them from the sides and rear with arrows.