Shloka 39
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
वारणं जघनोपान्ते विषाणाभ्यामिव द्विप: । उस समय शिनिपौत्र सात्यकि अपने बाणोंसे कर्णको पीड़ा देते हुए तुरंत उसके पीछे- पीछे गये, मानो कोई गजराज अपने दोनों दाँतोंसे दूसरे गजराजकी जाँघोंमें चोट पहुँचाता हुआ उसका पीछा कर रहा हो ।। ३८ $ ।। स भारत महानासीद् योधानां सुमहात्मनाम्
vāraṇaṁ jaghanopānte viṣāṇābhyām iva dvipaḥ | sa bhārata mahān āsīd yodhānāṁ sumahātmanām ||
Sañjaya said: Like a mighty elephant striking another at the haunch with its two tusks and pursuing without pause, so the pursuer closed in from behind. Thus, O Bhārata, there arose a great and terrible clash among those high-souled warriors—showing how, in war, prowess and relentless pursuit can eclipse restraint, even as each fighter remains bound to the dharma he has chosen on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses an elephant simile to highlight the battlefield ethic of relentless engagement: once combat is joined, warriors driven by kṣatriya-duty pursue and press the advantage. It also implicitly warns how martial momentum can intensify violence, testing the boundary between valor and excess.
Sañjaya describes a fierce pursuit and close-quarters pressure in battle, likening it to an elephant striking another’s haunch with its tusks while following behind. The scene frames the ensuing encounter as a major clash among eminent warriors.