Shloka 47

Devanagari script

स शस्त्रवृष्ट्याभिहत: समस्तैस्तैर्महारथै: । प्राग्ज्योतिषगजो राजन्‌ नानालिड्रैः सुतेजनै:

Transliteration

sa śastravṛṣṭyābhihataḥ samastais tair mahārathaiḥ | prāgjyotiṣa-gajo rājan nānāliḍraiḥ sutejanaiḥ ||

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ช้างแห่งปราชโยติษะนั้นถูกกระหน่ำด้วยสายฝนอาวุธ ซึ่งมหารถีทั้งปวงขว้างพร้อมกัน—ศาสตราวุธคมกริบหลากชนิด ดุจคมมีดโกน

Word by Word

सःhe/that one

शस्त्र-वृष्ट्याby a shower of weapons

अभिहतःstruck/assailed

समस्तैःby all (of them)

तैःby those

महा-रथैःby great chariot-warriors

प्राग्ज्योतिष-गजःthe elephant of Pragjyotiṣa (Bhagadatta’s elephant)

राजन्O king

नाना-लिड्रैःwith various (kinds of) lances/darts

सु-तेजनैःwith very sharp/brilliant (weapons)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Prāgjyotiṣa

elephant (gaja)

mahārathas (great chariot-warriors)

weapons/missiles (śastra)

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 harsh reality of war: even formidable might (symbolized by a powerful war-elephant) can be overwhelmed by sustained, collective assault. Ethically, it points to the gravity of choosing war—once unleashed, it subjects all beings to relentless harm, testing courage and restraint alike.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the elephant associated with Prāgjyotiṣa is being battered by a concentrated shower of weapons launched by multiple great chariot-warriors, using many kinds of sharp, cutting missiles.