Shloka 25
कर्णस्य दानप्रतिज्ञा–शल्योपदेश–वाक्ययुद्धम्
Karna’s Gift-Vows, Shalya’s Counsel, and the Battle of Words
निमित्तं मन्यमानास्तु परिणाम्य महागजा: । जग्हुर्बिभिदुश्वैव चित्राण्याभरणानि च
nimittaṁ manyamānās tu pariṇāmya mahāgajāḥ | jaghur bibiduś caiva citrāṇy ābharaṇāni ca ||
संजय बोले—महागज उन आभूषणों को अपशकुन का निमित्त मानकर लौट पड़े; उन्होंने उन विचित्र आभूषणों को भी झपट लिया और उन्हें तोड़-फोड़ डाला, जब रणक्षोभ में लोग इधर-उधर भाग रहे थे।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, people (and even armies) interpret events as omens and react from fear; worldly adornments and pride (ornaments) can instantly become meaningless, even turning into causes of further harm amid uncontrolled violence.
As foot-soldiers flee and discard their ornaments, the great elephants—taking the striking of those ornaments as an ominous ‘nimitta’—wheel about, seize the ornaments, and crush/break them, intensifying the panic and destruction on the battlefield.