Shloka 24
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
स तया निहतो राजन् कालिड्रतनयो रथात्
sa tayā nihato rājan kāliḍratanayo rathāt
قال سنجيا: «يا أيها الملك، وقد صُرِع بضربتها، سقط ابنُ كاليḍراتا من عربته—روحٌ أخرى قُطِعت في اندفاع المعركة الذي لا يلين، حيث تقلب البسالةُ والقدرُ كبرياءَ الدنيا سريعًا.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of life and status in war: even a chariot-warrior can be instantly brought down. It implicitly reflects the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension—kṣatriya duty demands combat, yet the human cost is immediate and irreversible.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior identified as the son of Kāliḍrata has been struck down by a female combatant (“by her”) and has fallen from his chariot, marking a decisive moment in the ongoing battle description.