Shloka 56
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
अमृदनात् समरे नाग: सम्प्रधावंस्ततस्तत: । उस हाथीने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर रथके समूहों
amṛdanāt samare nāgaḥ sampradhāvaṃs tatastataḥ | tena saṃloḍyamānaṃ tu pāṇḍavānāṃ balaṃ mahat ||
Sañjaya said: In the midst of battle, the great war-elephant, raging, charged about here and there, trampling and crushing masses of chariots, elephants, horses with their riders, and hundreds and thousands of foot-soldiers. By its onrush, the mighty army of the Pāṇḍavas was violently churned and thrown into disorder.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the destructive momentum of uncontrolled force in war: a single raging war-elephant can scatter and destabilize a large army, illustrating how violence rapidly multiplies suffering and disorder on the battlefield.
Sañjaya describes a war-elephant charging in different directions, trampling combatants and causing the Pāṇḍava forces to be tossed into confusion and disarray.