Shloka 653
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
तावकानां परेषां च व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपम । तदनन्तर आपके और पाण्डवोंके सैनिकोंमें अत्यन्त भयंकर रोमांचकारी युद्ध होने लगा। रथसे रथ और हाथीसे हाथी गुँथ गये
tāvakānāṃ pareṣāṃ ca vyatiṣaktarathadvipam |
Sanjaya berkata: Lalu, di antara pasukanmu dan pasukan lawan, pecahlah pertempuran yang sangat dahsyat dan membuat bulu kuduk berdiri. Kereta beradu dengan kereta, gajah bergulat dengan gajah, dan kedua bala tentara pun saling berbaur rapat dalam jarak dekat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: once armies intermix at close quarters, violence escalates beyond control. Ethically, it highlights the heavy consequences of conflict and the urgency of discernment (dharma) before hostilities reach an irreversible, entangling momentum.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces have collided in intense close combat, with chariots and elephants physically locking together as the battle becomes chaotic and terrifying.