Shloka 15
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
बाहुभिश्वन्दनादिग्धैः साड्गदैश्व विशाम्पते । हस्तिहस्तोपमैश्वापि भुजज्राभोगसंनिभै:
bāhubhiś candanādigdhaiḥ sāḍgadaiś ca viśāmpate | hastihastopamaiś cāpi bhujajra-bhoga-saṁnibhaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O lord of men, they were armed with clubs, their mighty arms smeared with sandal and other unguents; and their limbs—like the trunks of elephants, like the coiling folds of great serpents—seemed fashioned for crushing combat.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war magnifies physical prowess and weaponry into awe-inspiring spectacle; ethically, it hints at the tragic irony that such cultivated strength and adornment (anointing with sandal) is directed toward destruction rather than protection.
Sañjaya is describing formidable fighters to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing their readiness for close combat with clubs and portraying their arms and bodies through vivid similes—elephant trunks and serpent coils—to convey overwhelming force.