Shloka 26
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
साथ्वारोहान् हयान् कांचिदुन्मथ्य वरवारणा: । सहसा चिक्षिपुस्तत्र संकुले भैरवे सति,बहुत-से बड़े-बड़े हाथी कितने ही घुड़सवारों-सहित घोड़ोंको पैरोंसे कुचलकर सहसा भयंकर युद्धमें फेंक देते थे
sāśvārūḍhān hayān kāṁcid unmathya varavārāṇāḥ | sahasā cikṣipus tatra saṅkule bhairave sati ||
Sanjaya berkata: Dalam bentrokan yang padat dan mengerikan itu, gajah-gajah perkasa, setelah mencabut dengan kasar beberapa kuda beserta penunggangnya dan menggilasnya, seketika melemparkan mereka ke tengah kengerian perang. Daya yang mengamuk membalikkan tatanan dan nyawa tanpa ampun.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing force of war: once battle becomes crowded and fearsome, sheer power and momentum dominate, and living beings are treated like objects to be crushed or hurled. It implicitly invites reflection on the cost of conflict even within a dharma-framed war.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where powerful elephants, amid a chaotic melee, wrench up horses together with their riders and fling them down, intensifying the terror and confusion of the fight.