Shloka 4
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय २७: सुशर्माह्वानम्, अर्जुनस्य प्रतिनिवर्तनम्, भगदत्तेन गजप्रहारः
इन्द्रादनवर: संख्ये गजयानविशारद: । प्रथमो गजयोधानां पृथिव्यामिति मे मति:,“मेरा तो यह विश्वास है कि वे युद्धमें इन्द्रसे कम नहीं है। भगदत्त हाथीकी सवारीमें कुशल और गजारोही योद्धाओंमें इस पृथ्वीपर सबसे प्रधान हैं
indrād anavaraḥ saṅkhye gajayāna-viśāradaḥ | prathamo gajayodhānāṃ pṛthivyām iti me matiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “In battle he is in no way inferior to Indra. Skilled in the art of fighting from an elephant, Bhagādattā is, in my judgment, the foremost of elephant-warriors upon this earth.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment in assessing strength: true leadership in war depends on recognizing specialized expertise (here, elephant-combat) and giving due weight to proven capability rather than mere reputation.
Sañjaya, reporting the battlefield situation, praises Bhagādattā’s exceptional skill as an elephant-mounted fighter, declaring him unrivaled among such warriors and likening his battle-power to that of Indra.