Shloka 653
तावकानां परेषां च व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपम । तदनन्तर आपके और पाण्डवोंके सैनिकोंमें अत्यन्त भयंकर रोमांचकारी युद्ध होने लगा। रथसे रथ और हाथीसे हाथी गुँथ गये
tāvakānāṃ pareṣāṃ ca vyatiṣaktarathadvipam |
Sañjaya said: Then, among your warriors and those of the opposing side, a fiercely terrifying and hair-raising battle erupted. Chariots locked against chariots, and elephants grappled with elephants, as the two armies became tightly intermingled in close combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: once armies intermix at close quarters, violence escalates beyond control. Ethically, it highlights the heavy consequences of conflict and the urgency of discernment (dharma) before hostilities reach an irreversible, entangling momentum.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces have collided in intense close combat, with chariots and elephants physically locking together as the battle becomes chaotic and terrifying.