Shloka 18
Bhīṣma’s Stuti of Keśava and Counsel on Nara–Nārāyaṇa (भीष्म-स्तवः; नरनारायण-प्रसङ्गः)
गजैर्विषाणैर्वरहस्तरुग्णा: केचित् ससूता रथिन: प्रपेतु: । गजर्षभाश्षापि रथर्षभेण निपातिता बाणहता: पृथिव्याम्
sañjaya uvāca |
gajair viṣāṇair varahasta-rugṇāḥ kecit sasūtā rathinaḥ prapetuḥ |
gajarṣabhāś cāpi ratharṣabheṇa nipātitā bāṇahatāḥ pṛthivyām ||
so 'rjunapramukhe yāntaṃ pāñcāla-kula-vardhanaḥ |
tribhiḥ śāradvataṃ bāṇair jatrudeśe samārpayat ||
Sañjaya said: Some chariot-warriors, their chariots shattered by the blows of elephants’ tusks and powerful trunks, fell to the earth along with their charioteers. And some great elephants too—struck down by a foremost chariot-fighter—collapsed on the ground, slain by arrows. Then Dṛṣṭadyumna, the increaser of the Pāñcāla line, as Kṛpa (Śāradvata) advanced in front of Arjuna, fixed three arrows into Kṛpa’s collarbone region. The scene underscores the brutal reciprocity of battle: strength and skill on both sides bring sudden reversals, while leaders press the fight with strategic intent despite the human cost.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reciprocity of war: even the strongest formations—chariots and elephants—can be suddenly broken. It implicitly points to the ethical weight of kṣatriya-duty in battle, where leaders act decisively, yet the cost is immediate and human.
Sañjaya describes battlefield chaos: elephants smash chariots, causing chariot-warriors to fall with their charioteers; elsewhere, great elephants are brought down by a master chariot-fighter’s arrows. Then Dṛṣṭadyumna, moving in Arjuna’s forward line, shoots Kṛpa (Śāradvata) with three arrows in the collarbone region.