Shloka 33
पतन्ति द्विरदा भूमौ वज़घातादिवाचला: । गजानश्चान् रथांश्वैव पातयामास पाण्डव:
patanti dviradā bhūmau vajraghātādivācalāḥ | gajān aśvān rathāṁś caiva pātayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Struck down as if by a thunderbolt, the mighty elephants crashed to the earth, their strength rendered helpless. The Pāṇḍava, in the fury of battle, also brought down elephants, horses, and chariots—showing how martial prowess, when unleashed, can fell even the most formidable forces.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the overwhelming force of battle: even the strongest (war-elephants) can be felled instantly. Implicitly, it cautions that power and pride are fragile before fate and martial violence, and it frames such action within the harsh demands of kṣatriya conduct in conflict.
In a combat scene narrated by Vaiśampāyana, elephants collapse to the ground as if struck by a thunderbolt, and a Pāṇḍava warrior is described as bringing down elephants, horses, and chariots—depicting decisive battlefield dominance.