Shloka 9

Adhyāya 17 — गजयुद्ध-वृत्तान्तः, सहदेव-दुःशासन-संघर्षः, नकुल-कर्ण-समागमः

Elephant-battle account; Sahadeva–Duhshasana clash; Nakula–Karna encounter

Devanagari script

अथार्जुनो ज्यातलनेमिनि:स्वने मृदड्भभेरीबहुशडखनादिते । रथाश्वमातड्रसहस्रसंकुले रथोत्तमेनाभ्यपतद्‌ द्विपोत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

athārjuno jyātalaneminīḥsvane mṛdaṅgabhērībahuśaṅkhanādite | rathāśvamātaṅgasahasrasaṅkule rathottamenābhyapatad dvipottamam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Rồi Arjuna, giữa tiếng dây cung bật vang và tiếng bánh xe chiến xa rền rĩ—trong khi trống, đại cổ và vô số tù và ốc vang dậy—đã thúc cỗ chiến xa tuyệt hảo của mình lao vào chiến địa chật kín hàng nghìn xe, ngựa và voi, và áp sát con voi đứng đầu ấy.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्यातलनेमिनिःस्वने: in the sound of bowstring and wheel-rim
• ज्यातलनेमिनिःस्वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्यातलनेमिनिःस्वन
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मृदङ्गभेरीबहुशङ्खनादिते: resounding with drums, kettledrums, and many conches
• मृदङ्गभेरीबहुशङ्खनादिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदङ्ग-भेरी-बहु-शङ्ख-नादित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• रथाश्वमातङ्गसहस्रसङ्कुले: crowded with thousands of chariots, horses, and elephants
• रथाश्वमातङ्गसहस्रसङ्कुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ-अश्व-मातङ्ग-सहस्र-सङ्कुल
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• रथोत्तमेन: by (his) excellent chariot
• रथोत्तमेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथोत्तम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यपतत्: rushed/charged towards
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्विपोत्तमम्: the best of elephants (elephant-lord)
• द्विपोत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विपोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• ratha (chariot)
• aśva (horses)
• mātaṅga/dvipa (elephants)
• mṛdaṅga (drum)
• bhērī (kettledrum)
• śaṅkha (conch)
• battlefield (samara/aṅgaṇa implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma in practice: disciplined courage and decisive action amid overwhelming noise and chaos. Ethically, it highlights steadiness of purpose—Arjuna advances toward a formidable target without being shaken by the sensory tumult of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna driving his excellent chariot into a densely packed battlefield, filled with the sounds of bowstrings, wheels, drums, and conches, and then rushing up to confront the foremost war-elephant previously mentioned.