Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

हत्वा तत्‌ पुरुषानीक॑ भीम: सत्यपराक्रम:

Transliteration

hatvā tat puruṣānīkaṁ bhīmaḥ satyaparākramaḥ

Translation

三阇耶说道：诛灭那密集的战阵之后，毗摩——其勇力从不虚妄——挺身而立，宛如不移之威力的化身，置身于战争沉重的道义阴影之中。

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: क्त्वा, कर्तरि, पूर्वकाल (absolutive/gerund)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुरुषानीकम्: the host/army of men
• पुरुषानीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• सत्यपराक्रमः: of true/unyielding valor
• सत्यपराक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + पराक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• puruṣānīka (host of warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfast, proven courage in the midst of battle, while implicitly reminding that martial excellence operates within the heavy ethical cost of warfare—heroism is real, yet it unfolds amid destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīma has cut down a large formation of enemy warriors; the epithet “satyaparākrama” underscores that Bhīma’s strength and battlefield effectiveness are consistently reliable.