Shloka 48
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
तयोस्तस्य च तद् युद्धमत्यद्भुतमिवाभवत् । सिंहस्य द्विपमुख्याभ्यां प्रभिन्नाभ्यां यथा वने
tayos tasya ca tad yuddham atyadbhutam ivābhavat | siṁhasya dvipamukhyābhyāṁ prabhinnābhyāṁ yathā vane ||
Sañjaya berkata: Pertempuran antara kedua saudara itu dan sang kesatria tampak sungguh menakjubkan—laksana seekor singa di rimba berhadapan dengan dua gajah utama yang sedang musth.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic ideal of steadfast valor under daunting odds: combat can be ‘wondrous’ not as spectacle alone, but as a measure of resolve and prowess when a single hero faces formidable opponents—like a lion confronting two mighty elephants.
Sañjaya describes a particular duel (or clash) as extraordinarily astonishing, using a vivid comparison: it resembled a lion’s fight in the forest against two chief elephants in musth, conveying intensity, danger, and the grandeur of the warriors’ encounter.