Shloka 30
कर्णस्य दानप्रतिज्ञा–शल्योपदेश–वाक्ययुद्धम्
Karna’s Gift-Vows, Shalya’s Counsel, and the Battle of Words
पुर:सराक्ष नागानामपरेषां विशाम्पते । शरीराण्यतिविद्धानि तत्र तत्र रणाजिरे,प्रजानाथ! जो हाथियोंके आगे चलनेवाले पैदल थे, वे दूसरे पक्षके हाथियोंके शरीरोंको जहाँ-तहाँ रणभूमिमें अत्यन्त घायल कर देते थे
puraḥsarākṣa nāgānām apareṣāṃ viśāmpate | śarīrāṇy atividdhāni tatra tatra raṇājire prajānātha |
Sañjaya dit : Ô seigneur du peuple, les fantassins qui marchaient en avant des éléphants frappaient sans relâche les corps des éléphants adverses sur le champ de bataille, les perçant et les blessant grièvement en maints endroits.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the brutal reciprocity of warfare: strength (war-elephants) is not absolute, and disciplined coordination (vanguard infantry targeting vulnerable points) can overturn apparent superiority. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s sober realism—war magnifies suffering across all ranks, not only among famed heroes.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the foot-soldiers moving ahead of the elephants are inflicting severe wounds on the enemy elephants, piercing their bodies in many places across the battlefield.