Shloka 24
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
स तया निहतो राजन् कालिड्रतनयो रथात्
sa tayā nihato rājan kāliḍratanayo rathāt
Sañjaya said: “O King, struck down by her, the son of Kāliḍrata fell from his chariot—another life cut short amid the relentless momentum of battle, where prowess and fate swiftly overturn worldly pride.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of life and status in war: even a chariot-warrior can be instantly brought down. It implicitly reflects the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension—kṣatriya duty demands combat, yet the human cost is immediate and irreversible.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior identified as the son of Kāliḍrata has been struck down by a female combatant (“by her”) and has fallen from his chariot, marking a decisive moment in the ongoing battle description.