Shloka 41
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
भिन्नमर्मा शरशतैश्छिन्नहस्त: स वारण: । भीममार्तस्वरं कृत्वा पपात च ममार च
bhinnamarmā śaraśataiś chinnahastaḥ sa vāraṇaḥ | bhīmam ārta-svaraṃ kṛtvā papāta ca mamāra ca ||
Sañjaya said: Pierced in his vital spots by hundreds of arrows, and with his trunk severed, that great elephant let out a dreadful cry of agony; then he collapsed to the ground and died. The scene underscores the brutal finality of war, where even mighty creatures are reduced to suffering and death amid the clash of arms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of warfare: strength and majesty offer no immunity from pain and death. It implicitly invites reflection on the cost of battle and the suffering inflicted on all beings caught in it.
Sanjaya describes a war-elephant struck in vital points by hundreds of arrows; its trunk is cut off, it cries out in agony, collapses, and dies on the battlefield.