Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

चेदिमत्स्यकरूषाश्न॒ भीमसेनपदानुगा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | cedimatsyakarūṣāś ca bhīmasenapadānugāḥ | samare niṣādānāṃ ca teṣāṃ rājñāṃś ca jaghnire | tataḥ senā-dvayor ghoraṃ yuddham āsīd bhayāvaham ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ଭୀମସେନଙ୍କ ପଦଚିହ୍ନ ଅନୁସରି ଚେଦି, ମତ୍ସ୍ୟ ଓ କରୂଷ ଦେଶର କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟମାନେ ରଣଭୂମିରେ ଅଗ୍ରସର ହୋଇ ନିଷାଦମାନଙ୍କ ଓ ତାଙ୍କ ରାଜାମାନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଆକ୍ରମଣ କଲେ। ତେବେ ଦୁଇ ସେନା ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଘୋର ଓ ଭୟାବହ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ ପ୍ରବୃତ୍ତ ହେଲା—ବେଗ ଓ ପକ୍ଷନିଷ୍ଠାରେ ପ୍ରେରିତ, ସଂଯମ ପାଇଁ ଅବକାଶ ଅତି ଅଳ୍ପ ରହିଗଲା।

Word by Word

• चेदि: the Cedi (people)
• चेदि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेदि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मत्स्य: the Matsya (people)
• मत्स्य: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• करूषाः: the Karūṣa (people)
• करूषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: करूष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भीमसेन: of Bhīmasena
• भीमसेन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पद: steps/footprints
• पद: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनुगाः: following
• अनुगाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Cedi
• Matsya
• Karūṣa
• Niṣādas
• kings of the Niṣādas
• battlefield (samara-bhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how allegiance to a powerful leader and the momentum of battle can rapidly escalate violence. It implicitly raises an ethical tension central to the epic: Kṣatriya duty to fight versus the human cost when war becomes ‘ghora’ (dreadful) and ‘bhayāvaha’ (fear-producing).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that warriors from Cedi, Matsya, and Karūṣa, moving in step with Bhīma’s advance, attack the Niṣādas and their rulers on the battlefield. This triggers a fierce, terrifying clash between the opposing groups.