Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तत्र तत्र च समभ्रान्ता विचेरुर्मत्तकुज्जरा:

Transliteration

tatra tatra ca samabhrāntā vicerur mattakujjarāḥ

Translation

तत्र तत्र च समभ्रान्ता विचेरुर्मत्तकुञ्जराः ॥

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative adverb)

• तत्र: there (here and there)
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative adverb)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• समभ्रान्ताः: utterly confused / bewildered
• समभ्रान्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-भ्रान्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• विचेरुः: wandered / roamed about
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर्
• Form: perfect (liṭ), 3rd person, plural, parasmaipada

• मत्तकुज्जराः: mad elephants
• मत्तकुज्जराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्तकुज्जर
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• elephants (kujjara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war unleashes forces that quickly exceed human control: even powerful assets like war-elephants become disoriented and dangerous. Ethically, it points to the collateral chaos of violence—once conflict escalates, restraint and order are hard to maintain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield condition: elephants, maddened and confused amid the fighting, are roaming in different directions. This conveys the breakdown of formations and the spreading panic and disruption during the clash.