Mahabharata · 7.48.14–15
॥
Devanāgarī
क्षोभयित्वा चमूं सर्वां नलिनीम् इव कुञ्जरः ॥
अशोभत हतो वीरो व्याधैर् वनगजो यथा ॥
तं तथा पतितं शूरं तावकाः पर्यवारयन् ॥
दावं दग्ध्वा यथा शान्तं पावकं शिशिरात्यये ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kṣobhayitvā camūṃ sarvāṃ nalinīm iva kuñjaraḥ ||
aśobhata hato vīro vyādhair vanagajo yathā ||
taṃ tathā patitaṃ śūraṃ tāvakāḥ paryavārayan ||
dāvaṃ dagdhvā yathā śāntaṃ pāvakaṃ śiśirātyaye ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
क्षोभयित्वाkṣobhayitvāhaving stirred [shaken]; having roiled
चमूम् सर्वाम्camūm sarvāmthe whole army; the entire host
नलिनीम् इव कुञ्जरःnalinīm iva kuñjaraḥlike an elephant [stirring] a lotus pond; as an elephant a lotus-mere
अशोभतaśobhatashone [was splendid]; was splendid
हतःhataḥslain [struck down]; fallen
वीरःvīraḥhero; warrior
व्याधैः वनगजः यथाvyādhaiḥ vanagajaḥ yathāas a forest elephant by hunters; as a wild elephant [hunted down] by hunters
तम्tamhim; him
तथा पतितम्tathā patitamthus fallen; thus laid low
शूरम्śūramthe brave one [warrior]; the warrior
तावकाःtāvakāḥyour [warriors]; your [men]
पर्यवारयन्paryavārayansurrounded [encircled]; encircled
दावम् दग्ध्वाdāvam dagdhvāhaving burned the forest [having scorched the woodland]; having burned the woodland
यथा शान्तम्yathā śāntamlike the quenched; as the abated
पावकम्pāvakamfire; fire
शिशिरात्ययेśiśirātyayeat the end of winter [at the close of the cold season]; toward the end of winter
Translation
Having stirred the whole army as an elephant stirs a lotus pond, the fallen hero was splendid, like a forest elephant hunted down by hunters. Thus laid low, your warriors surrounded the warrior — like a fire, having burned the woodland, quenched at the end of winter.
Version
ba57289cd8e9 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Both similes speak of the same thing: a greatness that death cannot take away. He is a "vanagaja", a forest elephant, brought down only by a whole pack of hunters; he is a forest fire, not put out but merely waited out until it burns itself out, having scorched everything. The enemies "surround" him only once he has already fallen — they draw near only to the dead. It is telling that even in death the boy's image is drawn from forces no one can overcome alone. The verse teaches that true strength is known by this: it can only be waited out, never overpowered.