Shloka 37
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
अद्विसारमयी गुर्वी प्रगृह्ा महतीं गदाम् । अभ्यधावद् गजानीकं व्यादितास्य इवान्तक:,लोहेकी उस विशाल एवं भारी गदाको लेकर वे मुँह बाये हुए कालके समान उस गजसेनाकी ओर दौड़े
advisāramayī gurvī pragṛhya mahatīṁ gadām | abhyadhāvad gajānīkaṁ vyāditāsya ivāntakaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Lifting a massive, heavy iron mace, he charged straight toward the elephant-corps, like Death itself with jaws agape. The verse heightens the battlefield’s moral pressure: valor and ferocity are displayed at their extreme, while the looming presence of ‘Antaka’ (Death) reminds the listener that war consumes all—heroism and life alike.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inevitability of death in war and the terrifying momentum of martial fury. By comparing the attacker to Antaka (Death), it frames battle as a realm where human agency meets inexorable fate—prompting reflection on the ethical cost of violence even amid kṣatriya valor.
Sañjaya describes a warrior seizing a huge, heavy iron mace and charging into the elephant formation. The simile ‘like Death with mouth agape’ intensifies the scene, portraying the assault on the gajānīka as overwhelming and destructive.