Shloka 16
भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति उपालम्भः
Bhīṣma’s Reproof to Duryodhana
भिन्नकुम्भान् विरुधिरान् भिन्नगात्रांश्ष वारणान्
bhinnakumbhān virudhirān bhinnagātrāṃś ca vāraṇān
Sañjaya sprach: „(Er sah) Elefanten mit gespaltenen Schläfen, aus denen Blut strömte, und andere mit zerschmetterten Gliedern—ein Bild der erbarmungslosen Gewalt der Schlacht, in der die Kosten des Krieges von Lebewesen ebenso getragen werden wie von Kriegern.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: even powerful war-elephants are reduced to suffering bodies. It implicitly invites ethical reflection on the human and non-human cost of conflict, even when fought under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, highlighting elephants whose temples are split and bleeding and whose limbs are broken—vivid details that convey the intensity and devastation of the fighting.