Shloka 41
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
पर्वते वनमध्यस्थो ज्वलन्निव हुताशन: । जैसे वनके भीतर पर्वतके शिखरपर दावानल प्रज्वलित हो रहा हो, उसी प्रकार सब ओर रथियोंसे घिरकर हाथीकी पीठपर बैठे हुए राजा भगदत्त सुशोभित हो रहे थे || ४० ३ || मण्डंल सर्वतः श्लिष्टं रथिनामुग्रधन्विनाम्
parvate vanamadhyastho jvalann iva hutāśanaḥ | maṇḍalaṃ sarvataḥ śliṣṭaṃ rathinām ugradhanvinām ||
Bagaikan api berkobar di puncak gunung di tengah rimba, lingkaran rapat para kesatria kereta—para pemanah garang—menutup dari segala arah. Dalam kepungan itu, Raja Bhagadatta yang duduk di atas gajah tampak menyala mencolok, laksana kobaran liar di puncak berhutan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war magnifies both splendor and peril: martial brilliance can appear awe-inspiring like fire, yet that very radiance signals destruction. It invites ethical reflection on the seductive spectacle of violence and the ominous cost that accompanies it.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where fierce chariot-warriors form a tight encircling ring. Within this press, King Bhagadatta—mounted on an elephant—stands out vividly, compared to a blazing fire on a forested mountain.