विन्ध्यपर्वतजैर्मत्तै: पूर्णा हैमवतैरपि । मदान्वितैरतिबलैर्मातङ्गै: पर्वतोपमै: ।।1.6.23।। ऐरावतकुलीनैश्च महापद्मकुलैस्तथा । अञ्जनादपि निष्पन्नैर्वामनादपि च द्विपैः ।।1.6.24।।
Meaning
It was filled with mighty, mountain-like tusker elephants — some in rut, born of the Vindhya range, others from the Himalayan foothills — descended from the noble lines of Airavata, Mahapadma, Anjana and Vamana.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
Shloka 1.6.23
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| vindhya parvata jai: | विन्ध्य पर्वत जैः | Vindhya, mountains, born in | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| mattai: | मत्तैः | vigorous | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| pūrṇa | पूर्ण | full of | Best-effort: role not confidently classified |
| haimavatai: api | हैमवतैः अपि | Himalayan born, also | Indeclinable/particle |
| mada anvitai: | मद अन्वितैः | fattened, fully | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| ati balai: | अति बलैः | most, mighty | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| mātangai: | मातन्गैः | elephants | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| parvata upamai: | पर्वत उपमैः | mountain, in similitude | Nominative singular (masc.) |
Shloka 1.6.24
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| irāvata | इरावत | Iravata [the Elephant of Indra] | Best-effort: role not confidently classified |
| kulīnai: ca | कुलीनैः च | from that breed of | Indeclinable/particle |
| mahāpadma kulai: | महापद्म कुलैः | from Mahapadma breed | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| tatha | तथ | thus | Best-effort: role not confidently classified |
| anjanāt api | अन्जनात् अपि | From Anjana breed, also | Indeclinable/particle |
| niṣkrāntai: | निष्क्रान्तैः | derived from | Nominative singular (masc.) |
| vāmanāt api ca | वामनात् अपि च | from Vamana breed, too | Indeclinable/particle |
| dvipai: | द्विपैः | elephants | Nominative singular (masc.) |
Scholar commentary
Shloka 1.6.23
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The elephants' pedigree is traced to the ashta-diggaja, the eight mythological elephants said to support the universe from its eight directions, each with its own presiding deity. Of these eight, four are named directly in this verse: Iravata (Indra's elephant), Anjana (Varuna's), Vamana (Yama's), and Pundarika. The source separately notes a practical breed classification alongside the mythological one -- bhadra (a ceremonial breed reserved for the king's own use), mandra, and mriga (working and war breeds), with cross-bred combinations of the three also recognized.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Shloka 1.6.24
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The elephants' pedigree is traced to the ashta-diggaja, the eight mythological elephants said to support the universe from its eight directions, each with its own presiding deity. Of these eight, four are named directly in this verse: Iravata (Indra's elephant), Anjana (Varuna's), Vamana (Yama's), and Pundarika. The source separately notes a practical breed classification alongside the mythological one -- bhadra (a ceremonial breed reserved for the king's own use), mandra, and mriga (working and war breeds), with cross-bred combinations of the three also recognized.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.6.23-24 · Bāla Kāṇḍa