Shloka 28

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

पुंस्त्वादतिमदत्वाच्च केचित्‌ तत्र महागजा: । साश्वारोहान्‌ हयाञ्जघ्नु: करै: सचरणैस्तथा

Transliteration

puṁstvād atimadattvāc ca kecit tatra mahāgajāḥ | sāśvārōhān hayān jaghnuḥ karaiḥ sacaraṇais tathā ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：在那里，有些雄伟的大象——因发情狂（musth）而癫狂，又被凶猛的雄力所驱使——以象鼻击倒、以巨足践踏，连马与骑者一并杀戮。此景昭示：战场狂怒之中，纵是高贵的战兽也会化作不择对象的毁灭之器，将坐骑与人同卷而去。

Word by Word

• पुंस्त्वात्: from/owing to manliness
• पुंस्त्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अतिमदत्वात्: from/owing to excessive rut/intoxication
• अतिमदत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिमदत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क-चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• महागजाः: great elephants
• महागजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• साश्वारोहान्: horsemen (together with their horses)
• साश्वारोहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-अश्वारोह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जघ्नुः: slew/killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• करैः: with (their) trunks/hands
• करैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सचरणैः: with (their) feet/legs as well
• सचरणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-चरण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तथा: thus/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahāgaja (war-elephants)
• haya (horses)
• aśvārōha (horse-riders)
• kara (elephant trunk)
• caraṇa (feet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dehumanizing momentum of war: once unleashed, martial power—here embodied by musth-maddened elephants—can become indiscriminate, crushing both rider and mount. It implicitly cautions that strength without restraint (saṁyama) turns into destructive excess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where powerful elephants, crazed with musth and aggression, kill horses and mounted warriors by striking with their trunks and trampling with their feet.