Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

घण्टाश्न विविधा राजन्‌ हेमगर्भान्‌ त्सरूनपि | पतत: पातितांश्रैव पश्याम: सह सादिभि:

Transliteration

ghaṇṭāś ca vividhā rājan hema-garbhān tsarūn api | patataḥ pātitāṁś caiva paśyāmaḥ saha sādibhiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Tâu Đại vương, chúng tôi còn thấy đủ loại chuông, và cả những thanh kiếm chuôi bọc vàng—có thanh đang rơi xuống, có thanh đã bị đánh văng—cùng với bao kiếm của chúng.”

Word by Word

• घण्टाश्च: bells
• घण्टाश्च: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हेमगर्भान्: gold-filled / having golden cores
• हेमगर्भान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमगर्भ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्सरून्: sword-hilts (tsarus)
• त्सरून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्सरु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पततः: of (him/them) falling
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पातितान्: caused to fall / felled
• पातितान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पश्यामः: we see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, First, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• सादिभिः: with the trappings/appendages (etc.)
• सादिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• bells (ghaṇṭāḥ)
• swords (tsarūn)
• golden hilts (hema-garbha)
• scabbards/sheaths (sādibhiḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark impermanence of martial glory: even splendid, gold-adorned weapons and ornaments become scattered debris. It implicitly cautions against pride in power and highlights the human cost and futility that accompany adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra what is visible on the battlefield: bells, swords with golden hilts, and their scabbards—some still falling, others already knocked down—indicating intense fighting and the disarray left in its wake.