Shloka 43
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
स चचार बहून् मार्गनभित: पातयन् गजान् | अग्निचक्रमिवाविद्ध सर्वतः प्रत्यदृश्यत
sa cacāra bahūn mārgān abhitaḥ pātayan gajān | agnicakram ivāviddhaḥ sarvataḥ pratyadṛśyata ||
Sañjaya said: He ranged along many paths, moving all around and felling elephants. Whirling in motion, he appeared on every side like a fiery wheel, a vivid image of relentless martial energy unleashed amid the chaos of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily heightens the moral and emotional tension of war by portraying how overwhelming force can dominate the battlefield; it invites reflection on the terrifying momentum of violence and the human cost hidden behind heroic spectacle.
Sañjaya describes a warrior moving rapidly through multiple lanes of the battlefield, striking down elephants; his swift, circling movement makes him seem visible in every direction, like a spinning wheel of fire.