Shloka 28

Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam

Devanagari script

आपततन्तं गजानीकं दृष्टवा पार्थो वृकोदर:

Transliteration

āpatatantaṃ gajānīkaṃ dṛṣṭvā pārtho vṛkodaraḥ

Translation

桑阇耶说道：见象军奔突向前，帕尔塔（阿周那）与弗利科达罗（毗摩）便察觉那迫近的猛攻——这是战争势头的写照：勇气与明辨，必须迎对蛮力的冲撞。

Word by Word

• आपततन्तम्: rushing/charging (towards)
• आपततन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपतत् (आपत् + शतृ)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गजानीकम्: elephant-corps, elephant-division
• गजानीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• पार्थः: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृकोदरः: Vrikodara (Bhima; 'wolf-bellied')
• वृकोदरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकोदर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• gajānīka (elephant corps)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical demand of kṣatriya-dharma in war: when overwhelming force advances, the righteous response is not panic but clear perception and resolute action guided by duty and strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna and Bhīma see an elephant division charging toward them, signaling an intensification of the battle and setting up their response to a formidable battlefield threat.