Shloka 35

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्

Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement

Devanagari script

केचिद्‌ भिन्ना विषाणाग्रै्िन्नकुम्भाश्न तोमरै: । विनदन्तो<5 भ्यधावन्त गर्जमाना घना इव

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kecid bhinnā viṣāṇāgrair bhinnakumbhāś ca tomaraiḥ | vinadanto 'bhyadhāvanta garjamānā ghanā iva ||

Translation

ช้างบางเชือกปลายงาหักแตก บางเชือกกุมภสถานแตกฉีกด้วยคมทวน พวกมันร้องลั่นและแผดเสียงก้อง ดุจเมฆครึ้มคำราม แล้วแตกตื่นวิ่งพล่านไปทั่ว

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (persons/ones)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भिन्नाः: split, wounded, broken
• भिन्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (क्त-प्रत्यय: भिन्न)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विषाणाग्रैः: by the tips of tusks
• विषाणाग्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषाण + अग्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• भिन्नकुम्भाः: having split temples (elephants)
• भिन्नकुम्भाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न + कुम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तोमरैः: by javelins/spears
• तोमरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोमर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विनदन्तः: crying out, roaring
• विनदन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb-participle
• Root: नद् (वि + शतृ: विनदत्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभ्यधावन्त: ran about / rushed
• अभ्यधावन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव् (अभि + धाव्)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• गर्जमानाः: roaring
• गर्जमानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb-participle
• Root: गर्ज् (शानच्: गर्जमान)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• घनाः: clouds
• घनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: घन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• elephants (gaja)
• tusks (viṣāṇa)
• elephant temples/frontal globes (kumbha/kumbhasthala)
• tomara (spear/javelin)
• thunderclouds (ghana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the harsh reality of war: even mighty creatures like war-elephants are reduced to terror and pain. It implicitly cautions that violence spreads suffering beyond the primary combatants, revealing the ethical cost of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes battlefield chaos among elephants: some have tusk-tips broken, others have their temple-regions split by spears; they cry out and run about, roaring like thunderclouds.