Shloka 20
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
शक्रदेवस्तु समरे विसृजन् सायकान् बहून्
śakradevas tu samare visṛjan sāyakān bahūn
Sañjaya dit : Au plus fort de la mêlée, Śakra—seigneur des dieux—ne cessait de décocher quantité de flèches, évoquant l’image d’une force écrasante et disciplinée déchaînée dans la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily functions as epic narration: it heightens the sense of martial intensity by invoking Indra (Śakra) as a benchmark of battlefield power, suggesting that disciplined, concentrated action can appear ‘divine’ in its effectiveness—while remaining within the grim reality of war.
Sañjaya describes a combat scene where a warrior’s arrow-shower is likened to Śakra (Indra) in battle, emphasizing a rapid, abundant discharge of missiles and the escalating ferocity of the encounter.