Shloka 5
विज्ञायैतन्निशायुद्ध जिघांसुर्भीममाहवे । स मत्त इव मातड्: संक़्रुद्ध इव चोरग:
vijñāyaitanniśāyuddhaṃ jighāṃsurbhīmamāhave | sa matta iva mātaṅgaḥ saṃkruddha iva coragaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Ayant compris qu’il s’agissait d’un combat de nuit, il entra dans la mêlée avec l’intention de tuer Bhīma. Dans la tourmente, il rugissait comme un éléphant ivre, et comme un serpent excité à la fureur — image d’une rage martiale sans retenue, lâchée dans l’obscurité de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the conditions of war—especially a night-battle—can intensify tamasic rage and single-minded violence. It implicitly contrasts disciplined kṣatriya conduct with the moral peril of fighting in darkness, where anger and the urge to kill can eclipse restraint and dharma.
Sañjaya describes a warrior who, recognizing that the fighting has shifted into a night engagement, rushes into combat with the specific aim of killing Bhīma. His ferocity is compared to a musth-elephant and an enraged serpent, emphasizing uncontrolled aggression on the battlefield.