Shloka 653
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
तावकानां परेषां च व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपम । तदनन्तर आपके और पाण्डवोंके सैनिकोंमें अत्यन्त भयंकर रोमांचकारी युद्ध होने लगा। रथसे रथ और हाथीसे हाथी गुँथ गये
tāvakānāṃ pareṣāṃ ca vyatiṣaktarathadvipam |
Sañjaya dit : Alors, parmi tes guerriers et ceux du camp adverse, éclata une bataille d’une férocité terrifiante, à faire se hérisser les cheveux. Les chars s’empoignèrent aux chars, les éléphants aux éléphants, tandis que les deux armées s’entremêlaient étroitement dans le combat rapproché.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: once armies intermix at close quarters, violence escalates beyond control. Ethically, it highlights the heavy consequences of conflict and the urgency of discernment (dharma) before hostilities reach an irreversible, entangling momentum.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces have collided in intense close combat, with chariots and elephants physically locking together as the battle becomes chaotic and terrifying.