Shloka 28

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

पुंस्त्वादतिमदत्वाच्च केचित्‌ तत्र महागजा: । साश्वारोहान्‌ हयाञ्जघ्नु: करै: सचरणैस्तथा

Transliteration

puṁstvād atimadattvāc ca kecit tatra mahāgajāḥ | sāśvārōhān hayān jaghnuḥ karaiḥ sacaraṇais tathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Ở đó, vài con voi chiến hùng vĩ—bị cơn động dục (musth) và sức lực nam tính hung hãn thúc đẩy—đã giết cả ngựa lẫn kỵ sĩ, quật ngã bằng vòi rồi giẫm nát dưới chân. Cảnh tượng ấy cho thấy trong cơn cuồng nộ của chiến trận, ngay cả những chiến thú cao quý cũng trở thành khí cụ tàn sát vô phân biệt, cuốn phăng cả người lẫn ngựa.

Word by Word

• पुंस्त्वात्: from/owing to manliness
• पुंस्त्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अतिमदत्वात्: from/owing to excessive rut/intoxication
• अतिमदत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिमदत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क-चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• महागजाः: great elephants
• महागजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• साश्वारोहान्: horsemen (together with their horses)
• साश्वारोहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-अश्वारोह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जघ्नुः: slew/killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• सचरणैः: with (their) feet/legs as well
• सचरणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-चरण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तथा: thus/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahāgaja (war-elephants)
• haya (horses)
• aśvārōha (horse-riders)
• kara (elephant trunk)
• caraṇa (feet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dehumanizing momentum of war: once unleashed, martial power—here embodied by musth-maddened elephants—can become indiscriminate, crushing both rider and mount. It implicitly cautions that strength without restraint (saṁyama) turns into destructive excess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where powerful elephants, crazed with musth and aggression, kill horses and mounted warriors by striking with their trunks and trampling with their feet.