Shloka 26
तांस्तु तत्र प्रसक्तान् वै परिवार्य पदातय: । हस्त्यारोहान् निजघ्नुस्ते महावेगा बलोत्कटा:,इस प्रकार आभूषणोंमें उलझे हुए उन हाथियों और उनके सवारोंको चारों ओरसे घेरकर महान् वेगशाली तथा बलोन्मत्त पैदल योद्धा मार डालते थे
tāṁs tu tatra prasaktān vai parivārya padātayaḥ | hastyārohān nijaghnus te mahāvegā balotkaṭāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: There, the foot-soldiers—fierce with strength and moving with great speed—surrounded those who had become entangled and then struck down the elephant-riders. The scene underscores the ruthless momentum of battle, where tactical advantage and confusion can swiftly turn into slaughter, eclipsing any space for restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, confusion and tactical encirclement can rapidly decide life and death; it implicitly warns that once violence is unleashed, events often proceed with relentless force, leaving little room for deliberation or mercy.
Sañjaya describes infantrymen surrounding opponents—specifically elephant-mounted warriors who are 'caught up/entangled'—and then killing those elephant-riders through coordinated, forceful assault.