Shloka 18

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

योडजयत्‌ सर्वकाम्बोजानावन्त्यान्‌ केकयै: सह | गान्धारान्‌ मद्रकान्‌ मत्स्यांस्त्रिगर्तास्तड्रणाउ्शकान्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yo 'jayat sarva-kāmbojān āvantyān kekayaiḥ saha | gāndhārān madrakān matsyāṁs trigartāṁs taṅgaṇān śakān |

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Это был тот герой, который на поле брани покорил и сделал данниками всех камбоджей; аванти вместе с кекаями; а также гандхаров, мадров, матсьев, тригартов, танганов и шаків».

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उदजयत्: conquered/defeated
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + जि
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• काम्बोजान्: the Kambojas
• काम्बोजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्बोज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आवन्त्यान्: the Avantis
• आवन्त्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवन्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• केकयैः: with the Kekayas
• केकयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• गान्धारान्: the Gandharas
• गान्धारान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मद्रकान्: the Madrakas
• मद्रकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मत्स्यान्: the Matsyas
• मत्स्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्रिगर्तान्: the Trigartas
• त्रिगर्तान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिगर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तङ्गणान्: the Tangana people
• तङ्गणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तङ्गण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शकान्: the Sakas
• शकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kāmboja
• Avanti
• Kekaya
• Gandhāra
• Madra
• Matsya
• Trigarta
• Taṅgaṇa
• Śaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a key epic ethic of political life: conquest creates obligations and dependencies (tribute, subordination), and such accumulated power—won through force—becomes part of the moral background of the Kurukṣetra war, where earlier ambitions and dominations return as consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a warrior’s past military successes by listing the many peoples and regions he defeated. The catalogue-style enumeration serves to magnify the hero’s might and to situate the current war within a wider map of allied and subjugated kingdoms.