Shloka 15
Bhūriśravas–Sātyaki Saṃvāda and Duel; Arjuna’s Intervention (भूरिश्रवाः–सात्यकि संवादः, युद्धम्, अर्जुन-हस्तक्षेपः)
यदेतन्मेघसंकाशं द्रोणानीकस्य सव्यतः । सुमहत् कुञ्जरानीकं यस्य रुक्मरथो मुखम्,'सूत! द्रोणाचार्यकी सेनाके बायें भागमें जो यह मेघोंकी घटाके समान विशाल गजसेना दिखायी देती है, इसके मुहानेपर रुक्मरथ खड़ा है। इसमें बहुत-से ऐसे शूरवीर हैं, जिन्हें युद्धमें रोकना अत्यन्त कठिन है। ये दुर्योधनकी आज्ञासे प्राणोंका मोह छोड़कर मेरे साथ युद्ध करनेके लिये खड़े हैं
yad etan meghasaṅkāśaṁ droṇānīkasya savyataḥ | sumahat kuñjarānīkaṁ yasya rukmaratho mukham ||
Sañjaya said: “O charioteer, on the left flank of Droṇa’s battle-array there appears a vast elephant-corps, dark and massed like a rain-cloud; and at its very front stands Rukmaratha. Many hard-to-check heroes are stationed there—men who, at Duryodhana’s command, have cast off attachment to life and stand ready to fight.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: disciplined formations and formidable forces are driven by obedience to a ruler’s command. It underscores how loyalty and kṣatriya resolve can lead warriors to relinquish attachment to life—raising questions about the moral weight of orders and the cost of ambition in battle.
Sañjaya points out to the charioteer a massive elephant division positioned on the left of Droṇa’s forces. He notes its intimidating, cloud-like appearance and identifies Rukmaratha as standing at its front, emphasizing that many difficult-to-stop fighters are assembled there under Duryodhana’s directive.