Shloka 45

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

परिवार्य रणे भीम॑ निजध्नुस्ते समन्‍्ततः । स वध्यमान: समरे पदातिगणसंवृत:

Transliteration

parivārya raṇe bhīmaṁ nijaghnus te samantataḥ | sa vadhyamānaḥ samare padātigaṇasaṁvṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Giữa trận mạc, họ vây quanh Bhīma bốn phía và liên tiếp đánh chém. Dẫu bị công kích dữ dội trong giao tranh, chàng vẫn đứng vững, bị bao bọc bởi từng tốp bộ binh—bị ép chặt từ mọi hướng giữa cơn hỗn loạn của chiến trường.

Word by Word

• परिवार्य: having surrounded / encircling
• परिवार्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• निजघ्नुः: slew / struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: them
• ते: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वध्यमानः: being slain / being struck down
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्यमान (हन् धातोः कर्मणि वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Present passive participle (शानच्), कर्मणि

• समरे: in the battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पदाति-गण-संवृतः: surrounded by a troop of foot-soldiers
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत (√वृ/वृञ् ‘to cover, surround’ with सम् उपसर्ग; क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• padāti-gaṇa (infantry troops)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: a hero may be surrounded and relentlessly attacked, yet must endure and act with steadfast courage. Ethically, it underscores both the valor expected on the battlefield and the sobering cost of violence when many converge to bring down a single warrior.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma being encircled in battle and struck from all sides. Bhīma is hemmed in by groups of infantry, indicating a coordinated attempt to overwhelm him amid the larger clash.