Shloka 6

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya

Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance

Devanagari script

महाराज! अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए मदमत्त हाथी परस्पर भिड़कर दाँतोंके प्रहारसे एक- दूसरेको विदीर्ण करने लगे ।। हयारोहान्‌ हयारोहा: प्रासशक्तिपरश्वधै: । बिभिदुस्तुमुले युद्धे प्रार्थयन्तो महद्‌ यश:,उस भयंकर युद्धमें महान्‌ यशकी अभिलाषा रखते हुए घुड़सवार घुड़सवारोंको प्रास, शक्ति और फरसोंद्वारा घायल कर रहे थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | mahārāja! atyanta-krodha-bhareṣu mada-matta-gajeṣu parasparaṁ bhiḍitvā dantaprahāraiḥ anyonyam vidīrayām āsuḥ || hayārohān hayārohāḥ prāsa-śakti-paraśvadhaiḥ | bibhiduḥ tumule yuddhe prārthayantaḥ mahad yaśaḥ ||

Translation

ಮಹಾರಾಜ, ತೀವ್ರ ಕ್ರೋಧದಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿದ ಮದಮತ್ತ ಆನೆಗಳು ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಡಿಕ್ಕಿಹೊಡೆದು ದಂತಪ್ರಹಾರಗಳಿಂದ ಒಬ್ಬರನ್ನೊಬ್ಬರು ಚೀರಿ ಹರಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು. ಮತ್ತು ಆ ಘೋರ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಾ ಯಶಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಬಯಸಿದ ಅಶ್ವಾರೋಹಿಗಳು ಪ್ರಾಸ, ಶಕ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಪರಶ್ವಧಗಳಿಂದ ಎದುರಾಳಿಯ ಅಶ್ವಾರೋಹಿಗಳನ್ನು ಗಾಯಗೊಳಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು।

Word by Word

• हयारोहान्: horsemen (mounted warriors)
• हयारोहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयारोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हयारोहाः: horsemen
• हयारोहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयारोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रास: with spears
• प्रास: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शक्ति: with javelins/lances
• शक्ति: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• परश्वधैः: with axes
• परश्वधैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परश्वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बिभिदुः: they pierced/wounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तुमुले: in the tumultuous (battle)
• तुमुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रार्थयन्तः: desiring/asking for
• प्रार्थयन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रार्थय् (धातु) + शतृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Present-participle (शतृ), parasmaipada

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यशः: fame/glory
• यशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'mahārāja')
• elephants (gaja)
• horsemen (hayāroha)
• tusks (danta)
• spear (prāsa)
• javelin (śakti)
• axe (paraśvadha)
• battle/war (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral danger of krodha (wrath) and the craving for yaśas (fame): when warriors fight primarily from rage and ambition, the battlefield becomes a frenzy where compassion and restraint are eclipsed, intensifying destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a chaotic phase of the battle: maddened elephants collide and gore each other with tusks, while opposing cavalry units strike one another with spears, javelins, and axes, driven by the desire for great renown.