Shloka 45

Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नहतानन्यानपश्याम महागजान्‌ | पततः पात्यमानांश्व पार्षतेन महात्मना

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | dhṛṣṭadyumnahatān anyān apaśyāma mahāgajān | patataḥ pātyamānāṁś ca pārṣatena mahātmanā ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—ధృష్టద్యుమ్నుని చేత హతమైన అనేక మహాగజాలను మేము చూశాము. ఆ మహాత్ముడు పార్షతుడు (ద్రుపదపుత్రుడు) కొట్టగా అనేక ఏనుగులు పడిపోతుండగా, మరెన్నో అతని చేత నేలకూల్చబడుతున్నాయి।

Word by Word

• धृष्टद्युम्नहतान्: killed by Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नहतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न-हता
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अन्यान्: other
• अन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Plural

• महागजान्: great elephants
• महागजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पततः: falling
• पततः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पात्यमानान्: being made to fall / being felled
• पात्यमानान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (causative: पातयति)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• पार्षतेन: by the son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)
• पार्षतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Pārṣata (Drupada)
• war-elephants (mahāgaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s sober realism: even the mightiest instruments of war—great elephants—fall when confronted by determined leadership. It implicitly points to the grave cost of conflict and the relentless working-out of kṣatriya warfare, where prowess and duty operate amid widespread destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he is witnessing on the battlefield: Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Drupada’s son, is cutting down numerous war-elephants; some are already dead, while others are collapsing or being forced to the ground under his assault.