Shloka 38
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
तदाह्वानममृष्यन् वै तव पुत्रो$तिवीर्यवान् । प्रत्युपस्थित एवाशु मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्
tadāhvānam amṛṣyan vai tava putro 'tivīryavān | pratyupasthita evāśu matto mattam iva dvipam, mahārāja ||
Sanjaya said: Unable to endure that challenge, your son—of extraordinary prowess—quickly came forward to confront it, O King, like an intoxicated elephant rushing to meet another maddened lord of elephants.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intolerance of insult and wounded pride can overpower restraint, pushing even a capable warrior into immediate confrontation. Ethically, it points to the danger of letting ego and rage dictate action, thereby accelerating violence in war.
Bhīma issues a forceful challenge; Duryodhana cannot bear it and promptly steps forward to face him. Sañjaya describes this rapid escalation with a vivid simile: one maddened elephant rushing to meet another.