Shloka 57

Devanagari script

तमापतन्तं सहसा महेन्द्रगजसंनि भम्‌ । परं यत्नं समास्थाय बीभत्सु: प्रत्यपद्यत,देवराज इन्द्रके ऐरावत हाथीके समान उस गजराजको सहसा आते देख अर्जुनने बड़ा यत्न करके उसका सामना किया

Transliteration

tam āpatantaṃ sahasā mahendragaja-sannibham | paraṃ yatnaṃ samāsthāya bībhatsuḥ pratyapadyata ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Vendo aquele poderoso senhor dos elefantes arremeter de súbito — semelhante ao grande elefante de Indra — Arjuna (Bībhatsu), reunindo seu máximo esforço e compostura, manteve-se firme e enfrentou o ataque que vinha.

Word by Word

तम्him/that one

आपतन्तम्rushing/falling upon (approaching rapidly)

सहसाsuddenly, swiftly

महेन्द्रगजसन्निभम्resembling Indra's elephant (Airavata-like)

परम्great, utmost

यत्नम्effort

समास्थायhaving undertaken/assuming

बीभत्सुःBibhatsu (Arjuna)

प्रत्यपद्यतmet, confronted, opposed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Arjuna (Bībhatsu)

Indra (Mahendra/Devarāja)

Airāvata (implied by 'mahendragaja')

a mighty elephant-like warrior/elephant (the charging 'gajarāja')

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 disciplined bravery: when faced with overwhelming force, a warrior aligned with duty steadies himself, gathers his best effort, and responds with controlled resolve rather than fear or rashness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a powerful, elephant-like onrush (likened to Indra’s elephant). Arjuna, called Bībhatsu, braces himself with utmost effort and confronts the charge head-on.