Shloka 117

अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च

Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter

Devanagari script

द्विरदेश्व हतारोहैर्महामात्रै्हतद्विपै: | अन्योन्येन महाराज कृपो घोरो जनक्षय:,रथोंके घोड़े और सारथि, घोड़ोंके सवार, हाथियोंके आरोही, महावत और स्वयं हाथी भी मारे गये थे। महाराज! इन सबने परस्पर प्रहार करके घोर जनसंहार मचा दिया था

Transliteration

dviradeṣv api hatārohāir mahāmātraiḥ hatadvipaiḥ | anyonyena mahārāja kṛpo ghoro janakṣayaḥ ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。「大王よ、象軍においても同じであった。象上の兵は討たれ、大官—象使い（マホート）や将たち—も討たれ、象そのものも倒された。互いに近接して打ち合い、彼らは恐ろしくも容赦ない人の滅びを生んだ—相互の攻撃が苦しみを増幅し、戦士も御者も獣も、いかなる役目も免れぬ戦の姿である。」

Word by Word

द्विरदेषुamong/on the elephants

हतारोहैःby slain riders/mountsmen

महामात्रैःby great officers/commanders

हतद्विपैःby slain elephants

अन्योन्येनmutually, by one another

महाराजO great king

कृपःKripa

घोरःterrible

जनक्षयःdestruction of people

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by mahārāja)

elephants (dvipa/dvirada)

elephant-riders (āroha)

mahāmātras (high officers/mahouts/commanders)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: when combat becomes mutual and indiscriminate, it destroys not only famed warriors but also attendants and animals, showing how violence expands beyond its supposed targets and erodes compassion (kṛpā).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that in the ongoing battle, elephant units have been devastated—riders, mahouts/high officers, and the elephants themselves are killed—because the opposing sides strike each other relentlessly, resulting in a horrific massacre.