Shloka 15
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
मत्तस्येव गजेन्द्रस्य गतिमास्थाय सो5व्रजत् । वातिक और चारण भी उसे देखकर हर्षसे खिल उठे। पाण्डवोंसे घिरा हुआ आपका पुत्र कुरुराज दुर्योधन मतवाले गजराजकी-सी गतिका आश्रय लेकर चल रहा था ।।
sa f1jaya uv01ca |
mattsyasyeva gajendrasya gatim 01sth01ya so 'vrajat |
p01 0davai 25 pariv01rito r01jan tava putro duryodhana 25 |
matta-gaja-r01ja-gati 43 01sth01ya cac01la ||
tata 25 5ba 45kha-nin01dena bher2b 4701 43 ca mah01svanai 25 ||
Sañjaya sprach: Von den Pāṇḍavas umringt, o König, schritt dein Sohn Duryodhana voran mit dem Gang eines brünstigen Herrscherelefanten — stolz und wuchtig, ein trotziges Zeichen, obwohl Feinde ihn einengten. Da erscholl das Dröhnen der Muschelhörner und das mächtige Donnern der Kriegstrommeln, und das Schlachtfeld widerhallte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and martial bravado can persist even in peril: Duryodhana projects the intimidating confidence of a rutting elephant though he is surrounded. Ethically, it suggests the tragic power of ahamk01ra (self-assertive pride) in warit can look like courage, yet it may also blind one to counsel and consequences.
Sanjaya describes Duryodhana moving forward on the battlefield while encircled by the P01 0davas. His movement is compared to that of a maddened elephant, and immediately afterward the scene swells with the loud blasts of conches and the booming of war-drums, intensifying the battle atmosphere.