Shloka 26

Devanagari script

जघान गदया भीमस्तस्य राज्ञ: परिच्छदम्‌ | ततो<न्येडभिहता नागा रथाश्ष शतशो बलात्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

jaghāna gadayā bhīmas tasya rājñaḥ paricchadam |

tato 'nye 'bhihatā nāgā rathāś ca śataśo balāt ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Com sua maça, Bhīma esmagou os aprestos e as insígnias reais daquele rei. Depois, com força pura, abateu também outros elefantes e centenas de carros. A cena ressalta o poder marcial avassalador de Bhīma no caos da batalha, onde a destruição dos emblemas e do equipamento de um rei sinaliza o colapso de sua proteção imediata e de seu prestígio, em meio à violência incessante da guerra.

Word by Word

• जघान: slew/struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• परिच्छदम्: paraphernalia/retinue/equipment
• परिच्छदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिच्छद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिहताः: struck down/defeated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-हन् (√हन्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नागाः: elephants
• नागाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतशः: by hundreds/in hundreds
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशः

• बलात्: by force/forcibly
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma (Bhīmasena)
• a king (unnamed in this verse)
• gadā (mace)
• nāga (elephants)
• ratha (chariots)
• royal accoutrements/insignia (paricchada)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethos: decisive action and overwhelming strength can break an enemy’s protection and morale (symbolized by smashing a king’s paricchada). Ethically, it reflects the grim reality of dharma-in-war, where duty-driven combat entails large-scale destruction and the rapid reversal of fortune.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma, wielding his mace, destroys the royal gear of a king and then proceeds to strike down many elephants and hundreds of chariots by force, depicting Bhīma’s rampage and dominance in the battle.