Shloka 19

भीमसेनस्य प्रतिघातः—भगदत्तगजप्रहारः—घटोत्कचमायायुद्धम्

Bhīma’s Counteroffensive, Bhagadatta’s Elephant Assault, and Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā Engagement

Devanagari script

ततः प्रववृते युद्ध व्यतिषक्तरथद्धिपम्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṁ vyatiṣakta-ratha-dvipam

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Rồi trận chiến thực sự bùng nổ; xe chiến và voi chiến hòa lẫn, quấn chặt vào nhau trong cuộc giáp chiến hỗn loạn, cự ly gần—cuộc giao tranh leo thang thành đại chiến, nơi trật tự nhường chỗ cho sức ép và gánh nặng đạo lý của chiến tranh.”

Word by Word

• ततः: thereupon / then
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from/after that')

• प्रववृते: began / commenced / set in motion
• प्रववृते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, singular, Ātmanepada

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• व्यतिषक्त-रथ-ध्विपम्: with chariots and elephants intermingled/entangled
• व्यतिषक्त-रथ-ध्विपम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यतिषक्त-रथ-ध्विप
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• yuddha (the battle)
• ratha (chariots)
• dvipa (war-elephants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse does not present a direct doctrinal teaching; it underscores the ethical pressure-point of the epic: once war is set in motion, it rapidly becomes entangled and uncontrollable, testing discernment (dharma-buddhi) amid confusion and force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting has fully begun, describing the battlefield as densely interwoven with chariots and elephants, indicating close-quarters clashes and the intensification of combat.