Shloka 326
Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam
महाभ्रजालमतुलं मातरिश्वेव संततम् । पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ भीमसेनने अपनी गदाकी चोटसे सारी गजसेनाको उसी प्रकार नष्ट कर दिया, जैसे वायु महान् मेघोंकी सब ओर फैली हुई अनुपम घटाको छिज्न-भिन्न कर देती है
sañjaya uvāca | mahābhrajālam atulaṃ mātariśveva santatam | pāṇḍavaśreṣṭho bhīmasenena svagadayā prahāraiḥ sā gajasenā tathā nāśitā, yathā vāyur mahāmeghānāṃ sarvataḥ prasṛtām anupamāṃ ghaṭāṃ chinnabhinnaṃ karoti |
Sañjaya dit : Tel le vent qui déchire et disperse une vaste masse de nuages, sans pareille, étendue de toutes parts, Bhimasena—le plus éminent des Pândavas—brisa le corps des éléphants sous les coups écrasants de sa massue. L’image souligne la force irrésistible d’un guerrier lorsqu’elle est lâchée dans la bataille, et la ruine prompte et balayante qui s’ensuit quand la puissance s’exerce sans retenue.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming momentum of force in war: once martial power is unleashed, it can sweep through formations as wind tears cloud-masses. Ethically, it points to the grave consequences of battle—strength achieves objectives swiftly, but through widespread destruction—inviting reflection on restraint and responsibility even within kshatriya duty.
Sanjaya describes Bhima’s battlefield feat: with repeated mace-blows he breaks and destroys the enemy’s elephant contingent. The action is framed through a simile—wind dispersing a vast bank of clouds—to convey speed, scale, and inevitability.