Shloka 3

Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies

Devanagari script

गजानां बूंहतां चैव योधानां चापि गर्जताम्‌ । क्ष्वेलितास्फोटितोकत्क्रुष्टैस्तुमुलं सर्वती5भवत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

gajānāṁ bṛṁhatāṁ caiva yodhānāṁ cāpi garjatām |

kṣvelitāsphoṭitotkruṣṭais tumulaṁ sarvatobhavat bharatanandana ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: О радость рода Бхаратов! От трубного рева слонов и рыка воинов — вместе с ржанием коней, хлопками ладоней, ударами в грудь и громкими боевыми кличами — поднялся неистовый гул, разлившийся во все стороны. Эта картина возвещает нравственную тяжесть грядущего столкновения: внешнюю вспышку воинской гордыни и общего исступления перед тем, как на поле брани будет испытана дхарма.

Word by Word

• गजानाम्: of elephants
• गजानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• बृंहताम्: of (those) roaring/trumpeting
• बृंहताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: बृंह्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, Shatru (present active participle)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• योधानाम्: of warriors
• योधानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• गर्जताम्: of (those) roaring
• गर्जताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ज्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, Shatru (present active participle)

• क्ष्वेलित: with neighings/whinnies
• क्ष्वेलित: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्ष्वेलित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• आस्फोटित: with hand-clappings/strikings
• आस्फोटित: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्फोटित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• उत्क्रुष्टैः: with loud shouts/cries
• उत्क्रुष्टैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्क्रुष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तुमुलम्: tumultuous, loud
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides/everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• अभवत्: became/arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

• भरतनन्दन: O delight of Bharata (O descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-नन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'bharatanandana')
• elephants
• warriors
• horses (implied by kṣvelita)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Though primarily descriptive, the verse frames the ethical tension of war: collective excitement and aggressive display can overwhelm discernment, setting the stage where dharma must be consciously upheld amid noise, pride, and fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a massive, all-pervading uproar has arisen on the battlefield—elephants trumpeting, warriors roaring, horses neighing, and men clapping and shouting—indicating the armies’ full mobilization and the imminence of combat.