Shloka 28
एते पर्वतशृज्ञाणां तुल्या हैमवता गजा: । संछिन्नकुम्भा: पार्थेन प्रपतन्त्यद्रयो यथा
ete parvataśṛṅgāṇāṃ tulyā haimavatā gajāḥ | saṃchinnakumbhāḥ pārthena prapatanty adrayo yathā ||
Arjuna sprach: „Diese Elefanten aus der Himalaya-Region, hoch wie Berggipfel, stürzen nun wie Felsklippen, die vom Gebirge brechen — denn Pārtha (Arjuna) hat ihnen die Stirnwülste abgetrennt.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the terrifying scale of war and the kṣatriya battlefield ethos: martial prowess, when unleashed, brings down even the mightiest forces. Ethically, it highlights the tragic grandeur of combat—strength and stature offer no immunity when duty-driven violence prevails.
In the thick of battle, Arjuna’s arrows strike down massive Himalayan elephants. With their frontal globes (kumbhas) cut, they topple like mountain crags, emphasizing both the elephants’ enormity and Arjuna’s overwhelming effectiveness.