Shloka 553
विलम्बमानमवहत् संश्लिष्टं परमासनम् | खूनसे भीगे शरीरवाला जलसंधका वह हाथी अपनी पीठसे सटकर लटकते हुए उस हौदेको ढो रहा था
vilambamānam avahat saṃśliṣṭaṃ paramāsanam |
Sañjaya said: The elephant, its body drenched in blood, bore along that lofty, seat-like howdah, hanging down and clinging close against its back, swaying as it was carried through the turmoil of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than didactic: it underscores the grim reality of war—blood, injury, and the burden borne even by animals—inviting reflection on the ethical cost of violence and the suffering that accompanies adharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield scene in which an elephant, soaked in blood, continues to carry a large seat-like howdah/platform that hangs and clings to its back, emphasizing the chaos and brutality of the fighting.