Shloka 4
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
रथानीकं नरव्याप्रा: केचिदभ्यपतन् रथै: । अभज्यन्त युगैरेव युगानि भरतर्षभ,कुछ नरश्रेष्ठ वीर अपने रथोंद्वारा शत्रुपक्षकी रथ-सेनापर टूट पड़े। भरतश्रेष्ठ! कितने ही रथोंके जूए विपक्षी रथोंके जूओंसे ही टकराकर टूट गये
rathānīkaṃ naravyāprāḥ kecid abhyapatan rathaiḥ | abhajyanta yugair eva yugāni bharatarṣabha ||
Sañjaya said: Some heroic men, intent on combat, charged with their chariots straight into the enemy’s chariot-formation. O bull among the Bharatas, many chariot-yokes shattered as yoke struck yoke—an image of the battle’s close-quarters fury, where skill and courage meet the harsh, impersonal mechanics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the epic’s realism about war: courage and martial intent drive men forward, yet outcomes are also shaped by material force and collision—highlighting the grave cost and uncontrollable momentum of armed conflict.
Sañjaya describes a surge of warriors charging into the opposing chariot ranks; the fighting is so close that chariot-yokes collide and break, conveying the intensity and congestion of the battlefield.