Shloka 17
वृको द्विपस्थं गिरिराजवासिनं भृशं शरैर्द्धादशभि: पराभिनत् | ततो वृकं साश्वरथं महाद्विपो द्रुतं चतुर्भिश्वरणैव्यपोथयत्
vṛko dvipasthaṃ girirājavāsinaṃ bhṛśaṃ śarair dvādaśabhiḥ parābhinat | tato vṛkaṃ sāśvarathaṃ mahādvipo drutaṃ caturbhiś caraṇair vyapothayat |
Sañjaya said: Vṛka fiercely pierced the mountain-king’s elephant-mounted warrior with twelve arrows, grievously wounding him. Struck and enraged, that great elephant of the hill-chief rushed at Vṛka and, in an instant, crushed him—along with his chariot and horses—by trampling him under its four feet. The episode underscores the brutal reciprocity of battlefield violence: skill and aggression invite immediate counter-force, and in war even a moment’s advantage can turn into sudden destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral reality of war: violent action provokes violent response, and power can reverse instantly. It implicitly cautions against overconfidence and shows how, within kṣatriya-dharma, courage and aggression coexist with vulnerability to sudden counterblows.
Vṛka shoots twelve arrows at an elephant-mounted hill-chief, badly wounding him. The chief’s great elephant charges and immediately tramples Vṛka, crushing him along with his chariot and horses.