Shloka 57
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
तस्य चान्येडपि दिड्नागा बभूवुरनुयायिन: । अज्जनो वामनश्वैव महापद्मश्न सुप्रभ:
tasya cānyeḍ api diḍnāgā babhūvur anuyāyinaḥ | ajjano vāmanāś caiva mahāpadmaś ca suprabhaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “And other mighty elephants too became his followers—Ajjana, Vāmana, Mahāpadma, and Suprabha.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how power and leadership in war are reinforced by loyal support: formidable forces (here, named war-elephants) gather as followers, illustrating the importance of organized strength and dependable attendants in a righteous or strategic undertaking.
Sañjaya continues his battlefield report by listing additional prominent elephants who align themselves as followers of a principal figure in the army, emphasizing the scale and readiness of the war formation.