Shloka 36
गन्धहस्तिमदस्त्रावमात्राय बहवो रणे । संनिपाते बलौघानां वीतमाददिरे गजा:,समस्त सेनाओंमें भीषण मार-काट मची हुई थी और बहुत-से हाथी गन्धयुक्त गजराजके मदकी गन्ध सूँघकर उसीके भ्रमसे निर्बल हाथीको भी मार गिरानेके लिये पकड़ लेते थे
sañjaya uvāca | gandhahastimadāstrāvamātrāya bahavo raṇe | sannipāte balaughānāṃ vītam ādadire gajāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle, amid the dense clash of massed forces, many elephants—stirred by the scent of rut and the mere trace of the fragrant war-elephant’s intoxication—seized other elephants as if they were that very one, and in the frenzy of slaughter brought even weakened beasts down. The scene shows how, when war’s confusion and bloodlust rise, discernment collapses and violence spreads beyond intention, striking even the already vulnerable.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the chaos of war overwhelms discrimination: even a mere trace of scent can trigger frenzy, leading to mistaken aggression and harm to the weak. Ethically, it underscores war’s tendency to expand violence beyond rightful targets and the need for restraint and clarity (dharma) even amid conflict.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield melee where many elephants, excited by the smell of rut from a powerful fragrant war-elephant, mistakenly seize other elephants as if they were that one and bring them down—so intense is the slaughter and confusion among the massed armies.