Shloka 90
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
त्रासितेषु च सर्वेषु भीमेनाद्भुतकर्मणा । पुनरावर्तमानेषु विद्रवत्सु च सडूघश:
sañjaya uvāca |
trāsiteṣu ca sarveṣu bhīmenādbhuta-karmaṇā |
punarāvartamāneṣu vidravat-su ca saṅghaśaḥ |
Sañjaya dit : «Ô roi, lorsque tous furent jetés dans la panique par Bhîma, dont les actes étaient prodigieux, et lorsque les guerriers de Kalinga, en groupes désordonnés, fuyaient puis revenaient sans cesse, le commandant de l’armée des Pāṇḍava, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, fils de Drupada, s’adressa à toutes ses troupes : “Héros, combattez—poussez en avant avec courage !”»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the midst of fear and disorder, a leader’s dharma is to restore courage and order. Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s call—“Heroes, fight!”—frames steadfastness and disciplined valor as the ethical response to panic on the battlefield.
Bhīma’s extraordinary onslaught terrifies the Kalinga fighters, who flee in groups and then waver, turning back again. Seeing this shifting momentum, the Pāṇḍava commander Dhṛṣṭadyumna rallies his troops, urging them to fight with renewed spirit.