Shloka 14
Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation
हते तस्मिन् महाराज तव पुत्रे महारथे । नामृष्यन्त रणे शूरा: सोदरा: सप्त संयुगे,महाराज! आपके उस महारथी पुत्रके मारे जानेपर उसके सात रणवीर भाई, जो वहीं मौजूद थे, भीमसेनका यह अपराध सहन न कर सके
hate tasmin mahārāja tava putre mahārathe | nāmṛṣyanta raṇe śūrāḥ sodarāḥ sapta saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, when that great chariot-warrior—your son—was slain, his seven full brothers, valiant heroes present on the battlefield, could not endure it. They could not tolerate Bhīmasena’s deed and burned with the urge to retaliate.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: in war, especially under kṣatriya-dharma, the death of a kin member often triggers an immediate demand for retaliation. It shows how grief and honor can harden into vengeance, escalating violence through family bonds.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that one of the king’s sons, a great warrior, has been slain. The slain man’s seven full brothers, fighting nearby, cannot bear the loss and are provoked against Bhīmasena, preparing to respond in battle.