Shloka 23
कर्णार्जुनयुद्ध-प्रवृत्तिः
Renewal of the Karṇa–Arjuna Engagement at Day’s End
ततस्तदभवद् युद्ध॑ रथिनां हस्तिभि: सह । सृजतां शरवर्षाणि तोमरांश्व सहस्रशः,तब उन रथियोंका हाथियोंके साथ युद्ध छिड़ गया। वे रथी वीर उनके ऊपर सहसों तोमरों और बाणोंकी वर्षा कर रहे थे
tatas tad abhavad yuddhaṁ rathināṁ hastibhiḥ saha | sṛjatāṁ śaravarṣāṇi tomarāṁś ca sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then a fierce battle broke out between the chariot-warriors and the elephants. Those heroes on chariots poured down showers of arrows and hurled spears by the thousand, intensifying the slaughter and the relentless momentum of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily functions as battlefield reportage rather than explicit moral instruction; implicitly, it highlights how quickly conflict escalates once opposing forces engage, underscoring the grave cost and momentum of war that dharma must strive to restrain.
A direct clash erupts between chariot-fighters and elephant units, and the chariot-warriors intensify the engagement by releasing dense volleys of arrows and hurling spears in vast numbers.