Shloka 196
भीमसेनस्य प्रतिघातः—भगदत्तगजप्रहारः—घटोत्कचमायायुद्धम्
Bhīma’s Counteroffensive, Bhagadatta’s Elephant Assault, and Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā Engagement
तावकानां परेषां च निध्नतामितरेतरम् | तदनन्तर एक-दूसरेपर प्रहार करते हुए आपके और शत्रुपक्षके सैनिकोंका घोर युद्ध आरम्भ हो गया, जिसमें रथसे रथ और हाथीसे हाथी भिड़ गये थे
tāvakānāṁ pareṣāṁ ca nighnatām itaretaram |
قال سَنجايا: ثم ما لبث أن بدأ قتالٌ مروّع حين أخذ جنودك وجندُ العدو يضرب بعضهم بعضًا ويصرعونهم؛ فاشتعلت المعركة في الحال—عربةٌ تصطدم بعربة، وفيلٌ يلاقي فيلًا—وكلُّ فريقٍ عازمٌ على قهر الآخر في اندفاع الحرب الذي لا يلين.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights the mutuality and escalation of violence in war—each side striking the other—implying the ethical gravity of conflict where destruction becomes reciprocal and impersonal once battle is joined.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after the armies engage, a fierce general battle begins, with close-quarters clashes—chariot against chariot and elephant against elephant—as both Kauravas and their opponents attack each other.