Shloka 12
Adhyāya 17 — गजयुद्ध-वृत्तान्तः, सहदेव-दुःशासन-संघर्षः, नकुल-कर्ण-समागमः
Elephant-battle account; Sahadeva–Duhshasana clash; Nakula–Karna encounter
ततोअरर्जुनं भिन्नकटेन दन्तिना घनाघनेनानिलतुल्यवर्चसा । अतीव चुक्षो भयिषुर्जनार्दनं धनंजयं चाभिजघान तोमरै:
tato 'rjunaṃ bhinnakaṭena dantinā ghanāghanenānilatulyavarcāsā | atīva cukṣo bhayiṣur janārdanaṃ dhanaṃjayaṃ cābhijaghāna tomaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann trieb er einen brünstigen Elefanten voran, dessen Schläfen von Rauschsaft troffen—dunkel wie eine Regenwolke und doch strahlend, schnell wie der Wind—, in der Absicht, Janardana (Krishna) und Dhananjaya (Arjuna) in äußerste Bestürzung zu versetzen; und er griff sie mit Wurfspießen (Tomara) an. Die Szene zeigt die erbarmungslose Zuspitzung des Krieges, in dem Furcht selbst bewusst zur Waffe gemacht wird, sogar gegen die erhabensten Kämpfer.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical reality of warfare: opponents may intentionally generate terror and confusion as a tactic. It implicitly contrasts such fear-inducing aggression with the steadiness expected of exemplary warriors—especially Arjuna and Krishna—who must remain composed amid intimidation.
In the Karna Parva battle narrative, an enemy advances a powerful rutting elephant toward Arjuna and Krishna, aiming to panic them, and simultaneously attacks them with tomara-javelins.