Shloka 51
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
केचिदग्रासिना छिन्ना: पाण्डवेन महात्मना । विनेदुर्भिन्नमर्माणो निपेतुश्चव गतासव:
sañjaya uvāca | kecid agrāsiṇā chinnāḥ pāṇḍavena mahātmanā | vinedur bhinnamarmāṇo nipetuś ca gatāsavaḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Manche wurden vom mächtigen Sohn Pāṇḍus mit dem Schwert niedergestreckt; ihre Lebenspunkte waren zerschmettert, und unter Schmerzensschreien fielen sie leblos zur Erde. Der Vers betont die düstere Unmittelbarkeit der Schlacht—wo Können und Pflicht auf dem Feld sich als schnelle, unwiderrufliche Folgen für verkörperte Wesen erweisen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark reality of righteous warfare as conceived in the epic: when battle is joined under kṣatriya-dharma, decisive action brings immediate karmic and physical consequences—life is fragile, and violence, even when duty-bound, is grave and irreversible.
Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍava warrior (contextually Bhīmasena) striking down opponents with his sword; their vital points are shattered, they cry out, and then collapse lifeless on the battlefield.