Shloka 2
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
वणिजो नावि भिन्नायां यथागाधेडप्लवे<र्णवे । अपारे पतिमच्छन्तो हते शूरे महात्मना
vaṇijo nāvi bhinnāyāṃ yathāgādhe ’ḍaplave ’rṇave | apāre patim acchanto hate śūre mahātmanā ||
Sañjaya disse: “Assim como os mercadores, quando seu navio se despedaça no oceano profundo e sem margens, desamparados buscam um protetor, do mesmo modo, quando aquele herói magnânimo foi morto, os guerreiros—privados de apoio—olharam ao redor à procura de um líder que os salvasse e os mantivesse firmes.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to show how an army’s morale and coherence depend on a capable protector-leader: when the heroic support is removed, people feel like shipwrecked merchants in a shoreless sea—exposed, fearful, and urgently seeking guidance.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield reaction after a great hero has been slain: the fighters, suddenly deprived of their main support, become disoriented and look for someone to lead and protect them, like shipwrecked traders searching for rescue in the open ocean.