Shloka 22
Bhagadatta’s Astra and the Fall of the Prāgjyotiṣa King (भगदत्त-वधः / वैष्णवास्त्र-प्रसङ्गः)
उस सेनाके मथ डाले जानेपर राजा भगदत्तने उसी सुप्रतीक हाथीके द्वारा सहसा धनंजयपर धावा किया ।। त॑ रथेन नरव्याप्र: प्रत्यगृह्नाद् धनंजय: । स संनिपातस्तुमुलो बभूव रथनागयो:
taṁ rathena naravyāghraḥ pratyagṛhṇād dhanañjayaḥ | sa saṁnipātas tumulo babhūva rathanāgayoḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), tigre parmi les hommes, l’affronta de front avec son char. Alors s’éleva un heurt assourdissant et tumultueux entre le char et l’éléphant de guerre—chacun mû par une résolution inébranlable dans la fureur du combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: steadfastly facing an onrushing threat without retreat. Ethically, it emphasizes courage and composure—meeting force with disciplined resolve rather than panic.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna confronting an attacker directly with his chariot, resulting in a loud, intense clash between the chariot and a war-elephant, signaling a major close-quarters engagement.