Shloka 47
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
ते गजस्थेन काल्यन्ते भगदत्तेन पाण्डवा:
te gajasthena kālyante bhagadattena pāṇḍavāḥ
Sañjaya said: The Pāṇḍavas were being sorely pressed and harried by Bhagadatta, who fought from atop his elephant—his towering mount turning the battlefield into a place of dread and testing their steadiness amid overwhelming force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and position (an elephant mount and a formidable warrior) can overwhelm even great heroes, underscoring the kṣatriya duty to remain steadfast and disciplined under pressure rather than yielding to fear or disorder.
Sañjaya reports that Bhagadatta, fighting from an elephant, is aggressively attacking and distressing the Pāṇḍava forces, indicating a moment where the battle’s momentum threatens them through Bhagadatta’s imposing presence and assault.