Shloka 40
The Crushing of the Traipuras
Gaṇeśa’s Battle with Tripura’s Son
आखुनाभिद्रुतो नागो घोरयुद्धं तयोः परम् । अधोर्ध्वं संविभागे च चतुर्भिर्युद्धमद्भुतम्
ākhunābhidruto nāgo ghorayuddhaṃ tayoḥ param | adhordhvaṃ saṃvibhāge ca caturbhiryuddhamadbhutam
被獴追逐，巨蛇与之投入极其可怖的争斗。上下分位交错之际，此战奇绝，宛如四面皆在交锋。
Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue-speaker not explicit in this single verse)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ākhunābhidruto → ākhunā abhidrutaḥ; adhordhvaṃ → adho-ūrdhvam; caturbhiryuddhamadbhutam → caturbhiḥ yuddham adbhutam.
FAQs
The verse describes a nāga (serpent) being pursued by an ākhu (mongoose) and the two engaging in a fierce fight.
It indicates shifting positions in the struggle—moving low and high—suggesting a dynamic, all-directional combat rather than a fixed stance.
It can be read as a vivid reminder that conflict escalates when pursued relentlessly, and that struggle often becomes all-encompassing—calling for discernment and restraint rather than fixation on enmity.