Shloka 41
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
त॑ विजित्य रणे शूरं विक्रान्तं ख्यातपौरुषम् । अजेयं समरे वीरं यमेन वरुणेन च,राजन्! घटोत्कच अपने पौरुषके लिये विख्यात, पराक्रमी, शूरवीर था। वरुण और यमराज भी उस वीरको समरभूमिमें परास्त नहीं कर सकते थे। उसीको वहाँ रणक्षेत्रमें जीतकर भगदत्तका वह हाथी समरांगणमें पाण्डवसेनाका उसी प्रकार मर्दन करने लगा, जैसे वनैला हाथी सरोवरमें कमलिनीको रौंदता हुआ विचरता है
taṁ vijitya raṇe śūraṁ vikrāntaṁ khyātapauruṣam | ajeyaṁ samare vīraṁ yamena varuṇena ca, rājan |
Sañjaya said: O King, having overcome in battle that heroic warrior—renowned for his prowess, deemed unconquerable in combat even by Yama and Varuṇa—Bhagadatta’s elephant then began to crush the Pāṇḍava army on the field, as a wild elephant tramples a lotus-pond while roaming through it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the volatility of war: even a warrior praised as ‘unconquerable’ can be overcome, and once martial force gains momentum it can indiscriminately devastate many. It implicitly cautions that power in battle is not a stable measure of righteousness, and that outcomes can turn swiftly despite fame and strength.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a famed, mighty warrior—described as invincible even to Yama and Varuṇa—has been defeated in the fight; thereafter Bhagadatta’s elephant rampages through the Pāṇḍava forces, crushing them like a wild elephant trampling a lotus-pond.