Shloka 42

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्मादवप्लुत्य गजादू भारत भारत: । खड्गपाणिरदीनात्मा तस्थौ भूमौ सुदंशित:,भारत! फिर कवचधारी, खड्गपाणि, उदारचित्त, भरतवंशी भीमसेन उस हाथीसे सहसा कूदकर धरतीपर खड़े हो गये

Transliteration

tatas tasmād avaplutya gajād ū bhārata bhārataḥ | khaḍgapāṇir adīnātmā tasthau bhūmau sudaṃśitaḥ ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, ഹേ ഭാരതാ, ആ ഭാരതവംശീയ വീരൻ ആ ആനയിൽ നിന്ന് പെട്ടെന്ന് ചാടി ഇറങ്ങി. കൈയിൽ ഖഡ്ഗം, മനസ്സു തളരാതെ, ദൃഢകവചം ധരിച്ചു യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ നിലത്ത് ഉറച്ചുനിന്നു.

Word by Word

ततःthen

तस्मात्from that (from him/it)

अवप्लुत्यhaving leapt down

गजात्from the elephant

ऊindeed/oh (particle)

भारतO Bharata

खड्गपाणिःwith sword in hand

अदीनात्माundaunted-minded

तस्थौstood

भूमौon the ground

सुदंशितःwell-armed / well-equipped

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata)

Elephant (gaja)

Sword (khaḍga)

Earth/ground (bhūmi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid violent conflict, the verse highlights steadiness of mind (adīnātmā) and preparedness (sudaṃśitaḥ): a warrior is expected to act without sinking into fear or confusion, standing firm in the role and responsibility he has undertaken.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the hero—described as a Bhārata—jumps down from an elephant, draws/holds his sword, and takes his stand on the battlefield, fully armoured and undaunted, ready to continue the fight on foot.