Shloka 65
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
खड़गेनान्यांश्व चिच्छेद नादेनान्यांश्व भीषयन् । ऊरुवेगेन चाप्यन्यान् पातयामास भूतले
khaḍgenānyāṁś ca ciccheda nādenānyāṁś ca bhīṣayan | ūruvegena cāpy anyān pātayāmāsa bhūtale ||
Sañjaya sprach: Mit dem Schwert hieb er viele nieder; mit seinem furchterregenden Brüllen jagte er anderen Angst ein; und mit der bloßen Kraft seiner Schenkel schleuderte er weitere zu Boden. So zertrat er im Rausch der Schlacht einige unter den Füßen, warf andere empor, um sie zu zerschmettern, und fällte viele durch Klinge wie durch Einschüchterung—ein Bild der brutalen Wucht des Krieges, in dem Stärke und Furcht neben dem Stahl zu Waffen werden.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, power operates through multiple instruments—weaponry, physical force, and fear. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: kṣatriya duty in battle can demand ferocity, yet the narrative simultaneously exposes the dehumanizing, fear-driven mechanics of violence.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s overwhelming onslaught: he cuts down opponents with a sword, terrifies others with a thunderous roar, and knocks many to the ground through sheer bodily force (described as the ‘force of the thighs’), portraying a chaotic scene of rout and slaughter.