Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 34
प्राद्रवन् कुज्जरास्ते तु भीमसेनगदाहता: । पेतुरार्तस्वरं कृत्वा छिन्नपक्षा इवाद्रय:,भीमसेनकी गदासे घायल हो वे हाथी भाग चले और आर्तनाद करके पंख कटे हुए पर्वतोंके समान पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े
prādravan kuñjarās te tu bhīmasena-gadāhatāḥ | petur ārta-svaraṃ kṛtvā chinna-pakṣā ivādrayaḥ ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Aquellos elefantes, golpeados por la maza de Bhīmasena, huyeron en pánico; y luego, lanzando gritos de dolor, se desplomaron sobre la tierra como montañas a las que les hubieran cortado las alas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the brutal reality of war: physical might and grandeur (symbolized by elephants and mountains) can be shattered instantly. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of battle and the fragility of worldly power when driven by rage and weapon-force.
Sañjaya describes elephants on the battlefield being struck by Bhīma’s mace. Terrified and wounded, they run, cry out in pain, and then collapse, compared through a vivid simile to wingless mountains falling.