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

三阇耶说道：随后，阿周那在弓弦震响与车轮轰鸣之间——鼓声、战鼓声与无数海螺号角齐作——驾着他那上乘战车，冲入那拥挤着成千战车、战马与战象的战场，逼近那头最上之象。

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.