शरार्दितः सात्वतेन मर्दमानः स्ववाहिनीम् ॥
घोरम् आर्तस्वरं कृत्वा विदुद्राव महागजः ॥
हाहाकारो महान् आसीत् तव सैन्यस्य मारिष ॥
जलसंधं हतं दृष्ट्वा वृष्णीनाम् ऋषभेण ह ॥
विमुखाश् चाभ्यधावन्त तव योधाः समन्ततः ॥
पलायने कृतोत्साहा निरुत्साहा द्विषज्जये ॥
śarārditaḥ sātvatena mardamānaḥ svavāhinīm ||
ghoram ārtasvaraṃ kṛtvā vidudrāva mahāgajaḥ ||
hāhākāro mahān āsīt tava sainyasya māriṣa ||
jalasaṃdhaṃ hataṃ dṛṣṭvā vṛṣṇīnām ṛṣabheṇa ha ||
vimukhāś cābhyadhāvanta tava yodhāḥ samantataḥ ||
palāyane kṛtotsāhā nirutsāhā dviṣajjaye ||
Wounded by the arrows of Satvata, trampling its own army, letting out a terrible cry of pain, the great elephant fled. A great outcry arose among your army, O worthy one, when they saw Jalasandha slain by the bull of the Vrishnis. And your warriors turned and fled on every side, their zeal now given wholly to flight, with none left for overcoming the enemy.
105b96a373e9 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:08:02 PM UTC
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The elephant, maddened by its wounds, "trampling its own troops," tramples the very army it served: unguided force turns against its own. The fall of the leader sows flight everywhere. It is telling that strength stripped of a guiding will destroys those it once protected. The verse teaches that might without direction is ruinous to its own side: just as a frenzied elephant crushes its own troops, so any force that slips free of reasoned command turns to harm those it was meant to defend.