Shloka 39

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्

Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement

Devanagari script

कुछ हाथी नाराचोंसे घायल किये गये थे, कितनोंके शरीरोंमें तोमर धँसे हुए थे और वे सब-के-सब घोर चीत्कार करते हुए इधर-उधर दौड़ रहे थे। उस समय वे शुंगहीन पर्वतोंके समान जान पड़ते थे ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

ke-cid hastino nārācair āhatāḥ, keṣāṃ-cid aṅgeṣu tomarāḥ praviṣṭāḥ; te sarve ghoram ākrandam kurvāṇā itas-tataḥ pradhāvantaḥ śuṅga-hīna-parvatā iva babhūvuḥ ||

ke-cit krodha-samāviṣṭā madāndhā niravagrahāḥ |

rathān hayān padātīṃś ca mamṛduḥ śataśo raṇe ||

Translation

ສັນຈະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຊ້າງບາງໂຕຖືກລູກສອນເຫຼັກ (ນາຣາຈະ) ທຳໃຫ້ບາດເຈັບ; ໃນກາຍຂອງບາງໂຕອື່ນ ມີຫອກ (ໂຕມະຣະ) ປັກຄາງຢູ່. ພວກມັນທັງໝົດຮ້ອງກັບສຽງນ່າສະພຶງ ແລ້ວວິ່ງວຸ່ນວາຍໄປມາ ດັ່ງພູເຂົາທີ່ບໍ່ມີຍອດ. ແລະຊ້າງໃຫຍ່ບາງໂຕ ຖືກຄວາມເມົາມັນແຫ່ງມັດ (rut) ບັງຕາ ແລະຖືກໂທສະຄອບງຳ ຈົນບໍ່ອາດຄວບຄຸມໄດ້, ກໍໄດ້ຢ່ຳທັບລົດຮົບ, ມ້າ, ແລະທະຫານຍ່າງຕີນ ເປັນຮ້ອຍໆ ໃນສະໜາມຮົບ.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (of them)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क-चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्रोधसमाविष्टाः: entered/possessed by anger
• क्रोधसमाविष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध-समाविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मदान्धाः: blind with rut/intoxication
• मदान्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद-अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निरवग्रहाः: unrestrained, unchecked
• निरवग्रहाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-अवग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथान्: chariots
• रथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पदातीन्: foot-soldiers
• पदातीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ममृदुः: they crushed/trampled
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शतशः: by hundreds, in hundreds
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशस् (अव्यय)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• elephants (war-elephants)
• nārāca (iron arrows)
• tomara (javelins/spears)
• chariots
• horses
• infantry
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger and intoxicated frenzy (krodha, mada) destroy self-control (avagraha). In war, once restraint collapses, power turns indiscriminate—crushing friend and foe alike—showing why dharma emphasizes mastery over passions even amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports battlefield chaos: elephants wounded by arrows and spears scream and run wildly; some, seized by rage and rut, become uncontrollable and trample large numbers of chariots, horses, and infantry.