Shloka 26

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

ततो भीमो महावेगां त्यक्त्वा गुर्वी महागदाम्‌

Transliteration

tato bhīmo mahāvegāṃ tyaktvā gurvīṃ mahāgadām

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Rồi Bhīma bỏ cây chùy nặng nề, uy lực khủng khiếp của mình, và đổi thế đứng giữa vòng chiến—một động tác báo hiệu sự chuyển biến chiến thuật trước những đòi hỏi không ngơi của cuộc chiến theo dharma.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: true

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महावेगाम्: very swift/with great speed (fem.)
• महावेगाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावेग
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned/left
• त्यक्त्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• गुर्वीम्: heavy, weighty (fem.)
• गुर्वीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महागदाम्: the great mace
• महागदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• mahāgadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined action in war: even a mighty warrior must adapt means to circumstance. Strength is not merely in wielding a weapon, but in choosing and relinquishing tools appropriately while remaining within the demands of kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma sets aside his heavy, powerful mace. This indicates a shift in immediate combat method—either to take up another weapon, engage differently, or respond to a changing tactical moment on the battlefield.