Shloka 296
भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King
अभिदुद्राव वेगेन मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम् | महाधनुर्धर भगदत्तने राक्षसप्रवर घटोत्कचपर बड़े वेगसे आक्रमण किया, मानो एक मतवाला हाथी दूसरे मतवाले हाथीपर टूट पड़ा हो
abhidudrāva vegena matto mattam iva dvipam | mahādhanurdharaṃ bhagadattaṃ rākṣasapravaro ghaṭotkacaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: With a sudden surge of speed, the foremost of the Rākṣasas, Ghaṭotkaca, charged at the great bowman Bhagadatta—like one intoxicated elephant rushing upon another. The simile underscores the ferocity and momentum of the encounter, where prowess and wrath drive the combatants deeper into the moral storm of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked fury and martial momentum can make warriors resemble forces of nature—powerful yet perilous. It invites reflection on the ethical tension of war: valor and skill are admired, but the very intensity that wins battles can also deepen violence and suffering.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca, the formidable Rākṣasa fighter, charging swiftly at Bhagadatta, famed as a great archer. The comparison to two maddened elephants conveys the imminent clash of two exceptionally powerful combatants.