Shloka 49
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
ततः सुबलपुत्रस्य नागानतिबलान् पुनः । पोथयामास कौन्तेयो द्विपज्चाशदरिंदम:,तत्पश्चात् शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले कुन्तीकुमार भीमने सुबलपुत्र शकुनिके अत्यन्त बलवान् बावन हाथियोंको मार गिराया
tataḥ subalaputrasya nāgān atibalān punaḥ | pothayāmāsa kaunteyo dvipapañcāśad arindamaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors le fils de Kuntī—Bhīma, dompteur des ennemis—écrasa de nouveau et abattit cinquante-deux éléphants de guerre d’une puissance extrême, appartenant à Śakuni, fils de Subala. La scène souligne l’arithmétique brutale de la guerre : la prouesse martiale s’y mesure à la destruction de redoutables atouts militaires, tandis que le poids moral de ce carnage demeure suspendu au-dessus du champ de bataille.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim reality of dharma in wartime: a warrior’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can demand decisive force against enemy formations, yet the narrative also invites reflection on the moral burden of mass killing and the dehumanizing calculus of victory.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, famed as an enemy-subduer, again attacks and crushes a contingent of Śakuni’s powerful war-elephants, felling fifty-two of them in the ongoing battle.