Mahabharata 7.115.1 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 115, Shloka 1

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa

Devanagari script

#ीफा+ () आजमस+- > अंजनके कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए हाथियोंका लक्षण इस प्रकार बतलाया गया है-- स्निग्धनीलाम्बुदप्रख्या बलिनो विपुलै: करै: । सुविभक्तमहाशीर्षा: करिणो5ज्जनवंशजा: ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | prayāte tava sainye tu yuyudhāne yuyutsayā | dharmarājo mahārāja svenānīkena saṁvṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ลักษณะของช้างผู้กำเนิดในวงศ์อัญชนะกล่าวไว้ดังนี้—“ดำดุจหมู่เมฆสีนิลอันมันวาว มีกำลังใหญ่ มีงวงยาวใหญ่สง่างาม และมีเศียรใหญ่ที่สัดส่วนงดงาม—ช้างเช่นนี้แลเป็นช้างวงศ์อัญชนะ” สัญชัยกล่าวว่า เมื่อกองทัพของท่านเคลื่อนหน้าไปแล้ว และยุยุธานะ (สาตยกี) กระหายศึกอยู่ ธรรมราช—ข้าแต่มหาราช—ยืนอยู่โดยมีหมวดทหารของตนล้อมคุ้มกัน

Word by Word

• स्निग्ध: smooth, glossy
• स्निग्ध: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नील: dark-blue/blackish
• नील: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अम्बुद: cloud
• अम्बुद: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रख्या: resembling, like
• प्रख्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रख्या
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलिनः: strong
• बलिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विपुलैः: with large (ones)
• विपुलैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• करैः: with trunks (lit. hands)
• करैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुविभक्त: well-divided, well-formed
• सुविभक्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविभक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाशीर्षाः: having great heads
• महाशीर्षाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाशीर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• करिणः: elephants (bull elephants)
• करिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: करिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अञ्जन: of Anjana
• अञ्जन: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जन
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वंशजाः: born in the lineage, descendants
• वंशजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वंशज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• army (sainya)
• military division/formation (anīka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid the momentum of war, the righteous king (Dharmarāja) is portrayed as steady and properly supported by his own formation—implying that leadership in conflict requires composure, protection, and ordered conduct rather than reckless exposure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the army has moved forward; Sātyaki is keen to engage; and Yudhiṣṭhira is positioned within and protected by his own troop-division as the battle situation develops.