Shloka 51
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
धृष्टद्युम्नं पुरस्कृत्य नचिरात् प्रत्यदृश्यत । सत्यपराक्रमी भीमसेन उस पैदल सेनाका संहार करके थोड़ी ही देरमें धृष्टद्युम्मको आगे किये दिखायी दिये ।। पादाता निहता भूमौ शिशियरे रुधिरोक्षिता:
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ puraskṛtya nacirāt pratyadṛśyata | satyaparākrāmī bhīmasenaḥ sa paidalasenāsaṃhāraṃ kṛtvā thoḍī hī der meṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ āge kīye dikhāyī diye || pādātā nihatā bhūmau śiśyire rudhirokṣitāḥ |
Sañjaya said: With Dhṛṣṭadyumna placed in the forefront, Bhīmasena soon came into view again. True to his famed valor, he had cut down the foot-soldiers, and in a short while appeared with Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading. The infantry lay slain upon the ground, their bodies strewn about and drenched in blood.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reality of war: even when warriors act in line with kṣatriya-duty and display celebrated valor, the immediate outcome is widespread suffering and death. It invites reflection on the ethical weight of violence and the human cost that accompanies martial success.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma soon reappears with Dhṛṣṭadyumna positioned at the front. Bhīma has just devastated the enemy infantry; the foot-soldiers are described as lying dead on the ground, their bodies scattered and blood-soaked.