Shloka 25
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
पाट्यमानेषु कुम्भेषु पाश्चेष्वपि च वारणा: । प्रासैविनिहता: केचिद् विनेदु: परमातुरा:
pāṭyamāneṣu kumbheṣu pārśveṣv api ca vāraṇāḥ | prāsair vinihatāḥ kecid vineduḥ paramāturāḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Al abrirse en canal sus sienes y sus flancos, algunos elefantes—abatidos por lanzas—bramaron en terrible agonía, levantando un clamor espantoso en medio de la matanza de la guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers a stark battlefield vignette: even mighty war-elephants suffer intensely when pierced by weapons. It underscores the grave human-and-animal cost of war, implicitly inviting reflection on restraint, responsibility, and the heavy consequences that accompany kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that some elephants, struck by spears, had their temples and flanks torn open and, in extreme pain, roared loudly—adding to the terrifying din of the battle.