Shloka 64
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
गजैर्गजानभ्यहनद् वजेणेन्द्र इवासुरान् ततोडन्तरिक्षं बाणौचै: शलभैरिव पादपम्
gajair gajān abhyahanad vajreṇendra ivāsurān tato 'ḍantarikṣaṃ bāṇaughaiḥ śalabhair iva pādapam
Sañjaya berkata: Dengan gajah-gajah ia merobohkan gajah-gajah, laksana Indra menumpas para Asura dengan wajra; lalu ia memenuhi angkasa dengan derasnya hujan panah, seperti sebatang pohon yang ditelan kawanan belalang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not offer a direct moral injunction; instead it frames martial power through cosmic similes (Indra vs. Asuras, locusts overwhelming a tree). The implied reflection is that war magnifies force and destruction, making human combat resemble impersonal natural or divine violence—inviting the listener to sense the gravity and dehumanizing scale of the conflict.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s overwhelming assault: elephant units crush opposing elephants, and the battlefield’s sky is choked with dense volleys of arrows. The imagery emphasizes dominance in combat and the sudden, engulfing nature of the arrow-storm.