गजास् ते पन्नगाभोगैर् हस्तैर् भूरेणुरूषितैः ॥
निद्रान्धा वसुधां चक्रुर् घ्राणनिःश्वासशीतलाम् ॥
गजाः शुशुभिरे तत्र निःश्वसन्तो महीतले ॥
विशीर्णा गिरयो यद्वन् निःश्वसद्भिर् महोरगैः ॥
समां च विषमां चक्रुः खुराग्रैर् विक्षतां महीम् ॥
हयाः काञ्चनयोक्त्राश् च केसरालम्बिभिर् युगैः ॥
सुषुपुस् तत्र राजेन्द्र युक्ता वाहेषु सर्वशः ॥
तत् तथा निद्रया भग्नम् अवाचम् अस्वपद् बलम् ॥
कुशलैर् इव विन्यस्तं पटे चित्रम् इवाद्भुतम् ॥
gajās te pannagābhogair hastair bhūreṇurūṣitaiḥ ||
nidrāndhā vasudhāṃ cakrur ghrāṇaniḥśvāsaśītalām ||
gajāḥ śuśubhire tatra niḥśvasanto mahītale ||
viśīrṇā girayo yadvan niḥśvasadbhir mahoragaiḥ ||
samāṃ ca viṣamāṃ cakruḥ khurāgrair vikṣatāṃ mahīm ||
hayāḥ kāñcanayoktrāś ca kesarālambibhir yugaiḥ ||
suṣupus tatra rājendra yuktā vāheṣu sarvaśaḥ ||
tat tathā nidrayā bhagnam avācam asvapad balam ||
kuśalair iva vinyastaṃ paṭe citram ivādbhutam ||
Those elephants, their trunks like coils of serpents, their trunks covered with dust, blinded by sleep, made the ground cool with the breath from their trunks. The elephants could be seen there, breathing upon the ground, like shattered mountains with great serpents breathing within them. They made the ground both even and uneven, wounded by the tips of hooves; and the horses, with golden reins, with yokes from which manes hung down, slept there, O lord of kings, harnessed in their teams on every side. That army, thus broken by sleep, slept in silence.
c936d331e393 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
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Elephants and horses alike are asleep — all living things are seized by rest: war falls silent before the power of sleep, common to every creature. It is significant that the breath of the sleeping elephants ‘cools the earth’ — an image of peace descending upon the ravaged field. The verse teaches that sleep equalizes all — men and animals, friends and enemies; and in this universal repose there appears for a moment that peace for which the earth, worn out by strife, has longed.