Shloka 16
भिन्नकुम्भान् विरुधिरान् भिन्नगात्रांश्ष वारणान्
bhinnakumbhān virudhirān bhinnagātrāṃś ca vāraṇān
Sañjaya dit : «(Il vit) des éléphants aux tempes fendues, ruisselant de sang, et d’autres aux membres brisés — image de la violence sans merci du combat, où le prix de la guerre est porté par les êtres vivants autant que par les guerriers.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: even powerful war-elephants are reduced to suffering bodies. It implicitly invites ethical reflection on the human and non-human cost of conflict, even when fought under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, highlighting elephants whose temples are split and bleeding and whose limbs are broken—vivid details that convey the intensity and devastation of the fighting.