Shloka 26

Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ

Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa

Devanagari script

अग्नेर्वायुसहायस्य गति: कक्ष इवाहवे

Transliteration

agnervāyusahāyasya gatiḥ kakṣa ivāhave

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ໃນສົງຄາມນັ້ນ ການເຄື່ອນໄຫວຂອງເຂົາເຫມືອນໄຟປ່າທີ່ລົມພັດຊ່ວຍ—ໄວ, ແຜ່ກວ້າງ, ແລະຕ້ານທານບໍ່ໄດ້, ເຜົາຜານທຸກສິ່ງທີ່ຂວາງໜ້າ. ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ວ່າ ເມື່ອອຳນາດຮ່ວມກັບແຮງສົ່ງເສີມທີ່ເໝາະການ ມັນອາດກາຍເປັນສິ່ງທີ່ຖ້ວມທົ່ວ ແລະເປັນອັນຕະລາຍທາງສິນທຳໃນຄວາມວຸ້ນວາຍຂອງສົງຄາມ.

Word by Word

• अग्नेः: of fire
• अग्नेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वायुसहायस्य: of (one) having wind as helper
• वायुसहायस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायुसहाय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गतिः: movement, speed
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कक्षः: a dry thicket/brushwood (that blazes)
• कक्षः: Upamana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• अग्नि (fire)
• वायु (wind)
• कक्ष (brushwood/wildfire)
• आहव (battle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how force multiplied by favorable conditions becomes uncontrollable—like fire fanned by wind—suggesting that in war, unchecked momentum can rapidly turn into indiscriminate destruction, challenging ethical restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior’s rapid, devastating advance on the battlefield by comparing it to a wind-driven blaze racing through dry brush, conveying speed, spread, and the terror of unstoppable assault.