Shloka 82
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
हत्वैनं पुनरायाति नागानन्यान् प्रहारिण:
hatvainaṃ punar āyāti nāgān anyān prahāriṇaḥ |
Sañjaya dit : «L’ayant tué, ils reviennent encore frapper. Après avoir abattu ce fils d’un Niṣāda, ils assaillent sans cesse d’autres éléphants. Voyez Bhīmasena—tel un amas de sombres nuées de pluie—abattre les éléphants, même ceux qui portent leurs cornacs (mahouts) assis sur leurs épaules, sous des volées de lances et de javelots tomara.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the grim ethic of battlefield duty: relentless action and repeated assault are praised as martial effectiveness, yet the mention of a Niṣāda’s son hints at the moral strain of war—where social boundaries and the value of life are tested amid the demands of kṣatriya combat.
Sañjaya reports that after killing a Niṣāda’s son, the fighters return to attack more elephants. Bhīma is depicted as overwhelmingly powerful, striking down successive war-elephants—along with their mounted mahouts—using spears and tomara-javelins, compared to a dense bank of dark clouds.