Shloka 16

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १५१: कृष्णस्य कौरव-अवज्ञा-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डव-योगाज्ञा

Krishna on the Kauravas’ Rejection of Counsel; Pandava Readiness Ordered

Devanagari script

गजा: कण्टकसंनाहा लोहवर्मोत्तरच्छदा: । दृश्यन्ते तत्र गिर्याभा: सहस्रशतयोधिन:,वहाँ लाखों योद्धाओंके साथ युद्ध करनेमें समर्थ पर्वतोंके समान विशालकाय बहुत-से हाथी दिखायी देते थे, जो काँटेदार साज-सामान, लोहेके कवच तथा लोहेकी ही झूल धारण किये हुए थे

Transliteration

gajāḥ kaṇṭakasaṃnāhā lohavarmottaracchadāḥ | dṛśyante tatra giryābhāḥ sahasraśatayodhinaḥ ||

Translation

ਉੱਥੇ ਕਾਂਟੇਦਾਰ ਸਾਜ਼ੋ-ਸਾਮਾਨ ਨਾਲ ਸਜਜੇ, ਲੋਹੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਜ਼ਿਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਲੋਹੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਝੂਲਾਂ ਧਾਰੇ—ਪਹਾੜ ਵਰਗੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਹਾਥੀ ਦਿੱਸਦੇ ਸਨ, ਜੋ ਸੈਂਕੜਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਯੋਧਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਲੜਨ ਦੇ ਯੋਗ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

गजाःelephants

कण्टक-संनाहाःhaving spiked harness/armour

लोह-वर्म-उत्तरच्छदाःwith iron armour and iron covering/cloth

दृश्यन्तेare seen/appear

तत्रthere

गिरि-आभाःmountain-like

सहस्र-शत-योधिनःfighting with thousands and hundreds (i.e., very many warriors)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

elephants (gajāḥ)

spiked harness/armour (kaṇṭakasaṃnāha)

iron armour (lohavarma)

iron caparison/covering (uttaracchada)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the build-up of overwhelming martial resources intensifies the moral burden of choosing war; such displays of power function as intimidation and signal that the coming conflict will be catastrophic, thereby sharpening the ethical imperative to seek a just resolution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the war array: massive elephants, outfitted with spiked war-gear and iron protection, stand like mountains and are portrayed as capable of engaging vast numbers of enemy warriors—an image of formidable readiness on the battlefield.