Shloka 3

Virāṭa Rescued from Suśarmā; Night Battle and Royal Gratitude (विराटमोक्षणं सुशर्मवधाभिमुखं च)

Devanagari script

भीमाश्च मत्तमातड्रास्तोमराड्कुशनोदिता: । ग्रामणीयै: समारूढा: कुशलैहस्तिसादिभि:,हाथियोंपर चढ़कर उन्हें चलानेमें कुशल श्रेष्ठ महावतोंद्वारा तोमरों और अंकुशोंकी मारसे आगे बढ़ाये हुए भयंकर और मतवाले गजराज दोनों ओरसे एक-दूसरेपर टूट पड़े। परस्पर शस्त्रोंका प्रहार करनेवाले हाथीसवारोंका वह कोलाहलपूर्ण भयंकर युद्ध रोंगटे खड़े कर देनेवाला एवं महासंहारकारी था

Transliteration

bhīmāś ca mattamātaṅgāḥ tomarāṅkuśanoditāḥ | grāmaṇīyaiḥ samārūḍhāḥ kuśalair hastisādibhiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Didorong oleh hentakan tombak dan cucuk gading (goad), gajah-gajah perkasa yang mabuk amuk kerana musth—ditunggang oleh penunggang gajah yang mahir serta dipacu oleh mahout terkemuka—menerjang dari kedua-dua pihak lalu bertembung sesama sendiri. Hiruk-pikuk pertempuran gajah itu, ketika para penunggang saling menghentam dengan senjata, amat menggerunkan, membuat bulu roma berdiri, dan mampu membawa pembantaian besar.

Word by Word

भीमाःterrible, formidable

चand

मत्तintoxicated, rut-mad

मातङ्गाःelephants

तोमरwith javelins/spears

अङ्कुशwith goads

नोदिताःurged on, driven forward

ग्रामणीयैःby chief leaders/foremost men (here: chief mahouts)

समारूढाःmounted, having climbed upon

कुशलैःby skilled (men)

हस्तिसादिभिःby elephant-riders/mahouts

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

elephants (mātaṅga/gajarāja)

elephant-riders/mahouts (hastisādi)

tomara (lance)

aṅkuśa (goad)

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?

The verse underscores the ethical peril of war: even disciplined expertise (skilled riders, controlled elephants) can become catastrophic when combined with rage and force, leading to indiscriminate slaughter and terror.

What is happening in the narrative?

Two opposing sides deploy musth elephants. Driven forward with lances and goads and mounted by expert riders, the elephants collide from both sides, and the mounted warriors exchange weapon-strikes amid a deafening, frightening melee.