Shloka 2
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
वणिजो नावि भिन्नायां यथागाधेडप्लवे<र्णवे । अपारे पतिमच्छन्तो हते शूरे महात्मना
vaṇijo nāvi bhinnāyāṃ yathāgādhe ’ḍaplave ’rṇave | apāre patim acchanto hate śūre mahātmanā ||
ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: «ດັ່ງພໍ່ຄ້າເມື່ອເຮືອແຕກພັງໃນທະເລເລິກອັນບໍ່ມີຝັ່ງ ກໍຫາຜູ້ຄຸ້ມຄອງດ້ວຍຄວາມອ່ອນແອ; ສັນນັ້ນເມື່ອວີລະບຸລຸດຜູ້ມີຈິດໃຫຍ່ນັ້ນຖືກສັງຫານ ນັກຮົບທີ່ຂາດທີ່ພຶ່ງພາກໍມອງຫາຜູ້ນຳເພື່ອຊ່ວຍກູ້ ແລະໃຫ້ຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງ».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to show how an army’s morale and coherence depend on a capable protector-leader: when the heroic support is removed, people feel like shipwrecked merchants in a shoreless sea—exposed, fearful, and urgently seeking guidance.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield reaction after a great hero has been slain: the fighters, suddenly deprived of their main support, become disoriented and look for someone to lead and protect them, like shipwrecked traders searching for rescue in the open ocean.