Shloka 76
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भीमसेनं रणे राजन् समन्तात् पर्यवारयत् | नरेश्वर! कलिंगोंके कई सहस्न रथ और दस हजार हाथियों एवं निषादोंके साथ केतुमान् उस रणस्थलमें भीमसेनको सब ओरसे रोकने लगा
sañjaya uvāca |
bhīmasenaṁ raṇe rājan samantāt paryavārayat |
nareśvara kaliṅgānāṁ bahavaḥ sahasraśo rathā daśa-sāhasrāṇi ca hastinaḥ niṣādaiḥ saha ketumān raṇa-sthale bhīmasenaṁ sarvataḥ paryavārayat |
kṣurābhyāṁ cakra-rakṣī ca kaliṅgasya mahābalau |
satyadevaṁ ca satyaṁ ca prāhiṇod yama-sādanam ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, dans la bataille Bhīmasena fut cerné de toutes parts. Ô seigneur des hommes, Ketumān—soutenu par des milliers de chars de Kaliṅga, dix mille éléphants et des Niṣādas—encercla Bhīma sur le champ de guerre de tous côtés. Puis, de deux flèches au tranchant acéré, il envoya à la demeure de Yama les puissants gardes de roue du roi de Kaliṅga, Satyadeva et Satya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh dharma of battlefield duty: warriors face encirclement, counterattack, and death as immediate consequences of martial engagement; it also highlights how leadership and tactical formations (surrounding, chariot-guards) shape outcomes.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma is surrounded by Ketumān’s Kaliṅga forces—chariots, elephants, and Niṣādas. In the ensuing clash, two prominent chariot wheel-guards, Satyadeva and Satya, are struck down and sent to Yama’s realm.