Shloka 102
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
स कृत्वा दारुणं कर्म प्रगृहीतशरासन: । आस्थितो रौद्रमात्मानं कलिड्रानन्ववैक्षत,उन्होंने धनुष हाथमें लेकर भयंकर पराक्रम प्रकट करनेके पश्चात् अपने रौद्ररूपका आश्रय ले कलिंगसेनाकी ओर दृष्टिपात किया
sa kṛtvā dāruṇaṃ karma pragṛhītaśarāsanaḥ | āsthito raudram ātmānaṃ kaliṅgrān anvavaikṣata ||
Sañjaya dit : Après avoir accompli un acte terrible et saisi son arc, il prit une allure farouche, toute de courroux, et posa son regard sur les troupes de Kaliṅga—signe que la bataille montait d’un degré, lorsque la colère et la détermination guerrière commençaient à régner sur le champ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, a warrior’s inner state can shift into raudra (wrathful ferocity). It implicitly raises an ethical tension central to the Mahābhārata: even when action is framed as kṣatriya-duty, anger and cruelty can overtake discernment, turning necessary combat into ‘dāruṇa karma’—a dreadful deed.
Sañjaya describes a warrior who, after committing a severe martial act, grips his bow and deliberately adopts a fierce stance. He then looks toward the Kaliṅga troops, indicating he is about to engage them or intensify the assault against that contingent.