Shloka 246
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
सध्वज: सह सूतेन जगाम धरणीतलम् | राजन! उस गदाकी चोट खाकर कलिंगराजकुमार प्राणशून्य हो अपने सारथि और ध्वजके साथ ही रथसे नीचे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
sadhvajaḥ saha sūtena jagāma dharaṇītalam | rājan! us gadākī coṭa khākara kaliṅgarājakumāra prāṇaśūnya ho apane sārathi aura dhvajake sātha hī rathase nīce pṛthvīpara gira paṛā
Sañjaya sprach: O König, von dem zermalmenden Schlag jener Keule getroffen, verlor der Prinz von Kaliṅga sein Leben und stürzte, zusammen mit seinem Wagenlenker und dem Banner des Wagens, vom Wagen zur Erde hinab. Die Szene betont die harte Endgültigkeit des Krieges—wo Können und Pflicht aufeinanderprallen und der Tod schnell eintritt, sobald Gewalt entfesselt wird.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grave ethical weight of warfare: once violence is set in motion, life can end instantly, affecting not only the combatant but also attendants and symbols of status (charioteer and banner). It invites reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the tragic cost inherent in battle.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the prince of Kaliṅga, struck by a powerful mace-blow, dies on the spot and falls from his chariot to the ground along with his charioteer and the chariot’s banner.