Shloka 4
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
तामापतन्तीं महतीं कलिड्रानां महाचमूम् । रथाश्वनागकलिलां प्रगृहीतमहायुधाम्
tām āpatantīṁ mahatīṁ kaliḍrāṇāṁ mahācamūm | rathāśvanāgakalilāṁ pragṛhītamahāyudhām ||
Sañjaya said: “Then he beheld that vast host of the Kaliṅgas rushing forward—an immense army, densely packed with chariots, horses, and elephants, and bearing great weapons, ready for fierce engagement.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war by emphasizing the scale and preparedness of the forces: when vast, well-armed hosts surge forward, the consequences are collective and irreversible, reminding the listener that choices leading to battle carry immense ethical weight.
Sañjaya describes a large contingent—identified as the Kaliṅga host—charging into action. The army is portrayed as densely filled with chariots, horses, and elephants, and equipped with heavy weaponry, signaling an imminent clash.