Shloka 44

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

Devanagari script

अश्ववन्देषु नागेषु रथानीकेषु चाभि भू: । पदातीनां च संघेषु विनिघ्नन्‌ शोणितोक्षित:,शक्तिशाली भीमसेन घोड़ों, हाथियों, रथों और पैदलोंके समूहोंमें घुसकर सबका संहार करते हुए रक्तसे भीग गये

Transliteration

aśvavandeṣu nāgeṣu rathānīkeṣu cābhibhūḥ | padātīnāṃ ca saṃgheṣu vinighnan śoṇitokṣitaḥ ||

Translation

శక్తిమంతుడైన భీమసేనుడు గుర్రాల, ఏనుగుల, రథసేనలూ, పాదాతి గుంపులలోకి దూసుకెళ్లి వారిని సంహరిస్తూ రక్తంతో తడిసిపోయాడు.

Word by Word

अश्ववन्देषुamong the horse-troops/horsemen

नागेषुamong the elephants

रथानीकेषुamong the chariot-formations

चand

अभिभूःoverpowered/overcame

पदातीनाम्of the foot-soldiers

चand

संघेषुin the groups/hosts

विनिघ्नन्striking down, slaying

शोणितोक्षितःsprinkled/soaked with blood

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

horses

elephants

chariots

infantry formations

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 the warrior’s effectiveness in battle while implicitly pointing to the ethical gravity of war: even when action aligns with kṣatriya-duty, it is inseparable from suffering and bloodshed, inviting reflection on responsibility and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fierce assault in which the warrior breaks into enemy groupings—cavalry, elephants, chariot-units, and infantry masses—cutting them down so extensively that he becomes drenched in blood.