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Shloka 8

Adhyāya 17 — गजयुद्ध-वृत्तान्तः, सहदेव-दुःशासन-संघर्षः, नकुल-कर्ण-समागमः

Elephant-battle account; Sahadeva–Duhshasana clash; Nakula–Karna encounter

नरांस्तु कार्ष्णायसवर्म भूषणान्‌ निपात्य साशथ्वानपि पत्तिभि: सह । व्यपोथयद्‌ दन्तिवरेण शुष्मिणा स शब्दवत्‌ स्थूलनलं यथा तथा

narāṁs tu kārṣṇāyasavarma-bhūṣaṇān nipātya sāśvān api pattibhiḥ saha | vyapothayad dantivareṇa śuṣmiṇā sa śabdavat sthūla-nalaṁ yathā tathā ||

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយថា៖ «ដោយដំរីសង្គ្រាមដ៏ខ្លាំងក្លា និងល្អឥតខ្ចោះនោះ គេបានវាយទម្លាក់បុរសដែលពាក់អាវក្រោះដែក និងគ្រឿងអលង្ការល្អៗ ឲ្យដួលទៅលើដីជាមួយសេះ និងទាហានថ្មើរជើង ហើយបន្ទាប់មកកិនបំបាក់ពួកគេ។ ដូចដើមអំពៅព្រៃក្រាស់ៗបែកស្រែកពេលត្រូវជាន់ កងទ័ពទាំងនោះក៏បញ្ចេញសំឡេងបែកបាក់រឹងរូសពេលត្រូវកិនដូចគ្នា»។

नरान्men, warriors
नरान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तुbut, indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
कार्ष्णायस-वर्म-भूषणान्those having iron armor and ornaments
कार्ष्णायस-वर्म-भूषणान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकार्ष्णायसवर्मभूषण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
निपात्यhaving felled, after throwing down
निपात्य:
TypeVerb
Rootनि+पत्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)
स-अश्वान्together with (their) horses
स-अश्वान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअश्व
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अपिalso, even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
पत्तिभिःwith foot-soldiers
पत्तिभिः:
Saha (associated)
TypeNoun
Rootपत्ति
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
सहtogether with
सह:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसह
व्यपोथयत्he crushed/ground down, he trampled
व्यपोथयत्:
TypeVerb
Rootवि+अप+उथ् (व्यपोथयति)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
दन्ति-वरेणby the best elephant
दन्ति-वरेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootदन्तिवर
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
शुष्मिणाpowerful, vigorous
शुष्मिणा:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootशुष्मिन्
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (स)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शब्दवत्with sound, noisily
शब्दवत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootशब्दवत्
स्थूल-नलम्a thick reed (cane)
स्थूल-नलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्थूलनल
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
यथाas, just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
तथाso, in the same way
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
W
war-elephant (dantivara)
I
iron armour (kārṣṇāyasa-varman)
O
ornaments (bhūṣaṇa)
H
horses (aśva)
I
infantry/foot-soldiers (patti)
T
thick reeds/canes (sthūla-nala)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the fragility of external protections—armour and ornaments—before overwhelming force, and evokes the ethical gravity of war: in the chaos of battle, human beings can be reduced to objects of destruction, prompting reflection on the cost of kṣatriya conflict and the impermanence of worldly splendour.

Sañjaya describes a warrior’s elephant-charge: the powerful elephant knocks down armoured fighters along with their horses and accompanying infantry, then tramples them. The crushing is compared to thick reeds being stomped, producing a crackling sound.