Shloka 246
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
सध्वज: सह सूतेन जगाम धरणीतलम् | राजन! उस गदाकी चोट खाकर कलिंगराजकुमार प्राणशून्य हो अपने सारथि और ध्वजके साथ ही रथसे नीचे पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
sadhvajaḥ saha sūtena jagāma dharaṇītalam | rājan! us gadākī coṭa khākara kaliṅgarājakumāra prāṇaśūnya ho apane sārathi aura dhvajake sātha hī rathase nīce pṛthvīpara gira paṛā
Sañjaya dit : Ô Roi, frappé par l’écrasante atteinte de cette massue, le prince de Kaliṅga rendit l’âme et, avec son cocher et l’étendard du char, tomba du char sur la terre. La scène souligne la terrible irrévocabilité de la guerre : lorsque prouesse et devoir se heurtent, la mort survient promptement dès que la violence est déchaînée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grave ethical weight of warfare: once violence is set in motion, life can end instantly, affecting not only the combatant but also attendants and symbols of status (charioteer and banner). It invites reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the tragic cost inherent in battle.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the prince of Kaliṅga, struck by a powerful mace-blow, dies on the spot and falls from his chariot to the ground along with his charioteer and the chariot’s banner.