Shloka 8
भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः
Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array
महाबाहु घटोत्कच आपके पुत्रको मार डालनेकी इच्छासे वह शक्ति ऊपरको उठा रहा था। उसे उठी हुई देख वंगदेशके राजाने बड़ी उतावलीके साथ अपने पर्वताकार गजराजको उस राक्षसकी ओर बढ़ाया ।। स नागप्रवरेणाजौ बलिना शीघ्रगामिना । यतो दुर्योधनरथस्तं मार्ग प्रत्यवर्तत,वे वंगनरेश उस शीघ्रगामी महाबली गजराजपर आरूढ़ हो युद्धके मैदानमें उसी मार्गपर चले जहाँ दुर्योधनका रथ खड़ा था
sa nāgapravareṇājau balinā śīghragāminā | yato duryodhana-rathas taṃ mārgaṃ pratyavartata ||
Sañjaya said: Mounted upon that foremost of elephants—mighty and swift in the press of battle—the king of Vaṅga turned back along the very route where Duryodhana’s chariot stood. The scene underscores how, in the frenzy of war, rulers and allies rush to protect their side’s command and prestige, even as such impulsive movements intensify violence and entangle many in adharma-driven conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how battlefield decisions are often driven by loyalty, urgency, and the protection of one’s leader; ethically, it points to the way haste and factional attachment can deepen the spiral of violence, even when framed as kṣatriya duty.
The king of Vaṅga, riding a powerful and swift elephant, turns back and proceeds along the same path toward the position where Duryodhana’s chariot is located—suggesting a rapid maneuver to support or defend Duryodhana amid the ongoing clash.