Mahabharata 7.26.486 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 26, Shloka 486

Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)

Devanagari script

गजवाजिकृत: शब्द: सुमहान्‌ समजायत । उस समय इधर-उधर भागते हुए पांचाल-सैनिकोंके हाथी-घोड़ोंका महान्‌ भयंकर चीत्कार शब्द प्रकट हुआ

Transliteration

gajavājikṛtaḥ śabdaḥ sumahān samajāyata |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Khi ấy vang lên một tiếng gầm rền dữ dội—tiếng thét kinh hoàng của voi và ngựa—khi quân Pāñcāla tháo chạy tán loạn khắp bốn phương.

Word by Word

• गजवाजिकृतः: made by elephants and horses
• गजवाजिकृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गजवाजिकृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शब्दः: sound, noise
• शब्दः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समजायत: arose, came into being
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāñcāla soldiers
• elephants
• horses

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, inner steadiness and disciplined order are decisive: when fear spreads, even powerful assets like elephants and horses become sources of terror and confusion. It implicitly contrasts dharmic courage and composure with panic-driven collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a huge, frightening noise arose from elephants and horses as the Pāñcāla troops ran about and fled in different directions, indicating a moment of rout or severe disorder on the battlefield.