Shloka 86

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

सर्वकालिड्रसैन्यानां मनांसि समकम्पयत्‌ । मोहश्नापि कलिड्रानामाविवेश परंतप,परंतप! उस शंखनादके द्वारा उन्होंने सम्पूर्ण कलिंगोंके हृदयमें कम्प मचा दिया और उन सबपर बड़ा भारी मोह छा गया

Transliteration

sarvakāliṅga-sainyānāṁ manāṁsi samakampayat | mohaś cāpi kaliṅgānām āviveśa paraṁtapa ||

Translation

सर्वकलिङ्गसैन्यानां मनांसि समकम्पयत् । मोहश्चापि कलिङ्गानामाविवेश परंतप ॥

Word by Word

सर्वकालिङ्गसैन्यानाम्of all the Kalinga armies

मनांसिminds

समकम्पयत्shook, caused to tremble

मोहःdelusion, bewilderment

चand

अपिalso, even

कालिङ्गानाम्of the Kalingas

आविवेशentered, took possession (of)

परंतपO scorcher of foes (epithet)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra (implied by the vocative paraṁtapa)

Kalinga troops (Kaliṅga-sainyāḥ)

Conch-blast (śaṅkha-nāda; implied by context)

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 highlights how sound and reputation on the battlefield can unsettle the mind: when courage collapses into moha (bewilderment), judgment and resolve fail. Ethically, it underscores the Mahabharata’s recurring warning that inner steadiness is as decisive as weapons.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that a powerful conch-blast (from the opposing side, in context) causes the Kalinga troops’ hearts to tremble, and a great confusion or panic spreads among them.