Shloka 58
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
गदापरिघनिस्त्रिंशपट्टिशायोघनोपलै: । कडड्रैर्भुशुण्डीभि: प्रासैस्तोमरसायकै:,तत्पश्चात् गदा, परिघ, खड़्ग, पट्टिश, लोहेके घन, पत्थर, कडंगर, भुशुण्डि, प्रास, तोमर, सायक, मुसल, मुदगर, चक्र, भिन्दिपाल, फरसा, धूल, हवा, अग्नि, जल, भस्म, मिट्टीके ढेले, तिनके तथा वृक्षोंसे कौरव-सेनाको पीड़ा देता, शत्रुओंका अंग-भंग करता, तोड़ता-फोड़ता, मारता-भगाता, फेंकता एवं सारी सेनाको भयभीत करता हुआ घटोत्कच वहाँ ट्रोणाचार्यको पकड़नेके लिये आया
sañjaya uvāca | gadāparighanistriṁśapaṭṭiśāyoghanopalaiḥ | kaḍaṅgair bhuśuṇḍībhiḥ prāsais tomarasāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “With maces and iron bars, with swords and battle-axes, with heavy iron hammers and stones, and with clubs, bhuśuṇḍī-missiles, spears, tomara-javelins, and arrows—hurling and striking with these—Ghaṭotkaca tormented the Kaurava host. He shattered the limbs of his foes, broke their formations, slew and routed them, and cast terror through the entire army, as he advanced there with the aim of seizing Droṇācārya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming force and fear can dominate a battlefield, yet it also implicitly raises an ethical tension: even when fighting for a cause, war unleashes terror and bodily destruction. It invites reflection on dharma under extreme conditions—how objectives (like capturing a commander) drive actions that intensify suffering.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca’s assault on the Kaurava forces using a wide array of weapons. His attack breaks enemy bodies and formations, spreads panic through the army, and he advances with the specific aim of capturing Droṇācārya.