Shloka 556
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
जग्मुः परिवृता राजंश्वलन्त इव पर्वता: । राजन! पक्षरं, कोटिईं, प्रपक्ष। तथा पक्षान्त-भागोंमें चलते-फिरते पर्वतोंके समान हाथियोंके झुंड चले। वे सब-के-सब सेनाओंसे घिरे हुए थे
sañjaya uvāca | jagmuḥ parivṛtā rājan jvalanta iva parvatāḥ |
Sañjaya said: O King, the elephant troops advanced, surrounded on all sides, appearing like blazing mountains in motion. Their onward surge, massive and unstoppable, signaled the war’s escalating force—where power, protection, and disciplined formation become decisive amid the moral strain of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how organized strength and protective formation amplify destructive capacity in war, implicitly reminding the listener that martial power, though awe-inspiring, intensifies the ethical burden of conflict and the responsibility of those who unleash it.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that elephant contingents are moving forward in the battle, tightly surrounded by supporting forces, and their mass and brilliance make them seem like moving, blazing mountains.