Shloka 26
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
प्रयुक्ता रथिभिर्बाणा भीमवेगा: सुतेजना: । ते निपेतुर्महाराज नागेषु च रथेषु च,कथयामास दुर्धर्षो विनि:श्वस्य पुनः पुनः । संजय कहते हैं--महाराज! शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाला राजा दुर्योधन उस महान् युद्धमें एक राक्षसके द्वारा प्राप्त हुई अपनी पराजयको नहीं सह सका। उसने गंगानन्दन भीष्मजीके पास जाकर उन्हें विनीतभावसे प्रणाम करनेके पश्चात् सारा वृत्तान्त यथावत् रूपसे कह सुनाया। उस दुर्धर्ष वीरने बारंबार लम्बी साँस खींचकर घटोत्कचकी विजय और अपनी पराजयकी कथा कही महाराज! रथियोंद्वारा प्रयुक्त हुए भयंकर वेगशाली तेज बाण हाथियों और रथोंपर गिरने लगे
sañjaya uvāca | prayuktā rathibhir bāṇā bhīmavegāḥ sutejanāḥ | te nipetur mahārāja nāgeṣu ca ratheṣu ca |
Sañjaya said: O King, arrows shot by the chariot-warriors—terrible in speed and blazing with power—fell in showers upon the elephants and the chariots. The scene underscores how, in the frenzy of battle, martial skill and wrath turn into indiscriminate destruction of men and war-beasts alike, intensifying the moral weight of the conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the brutal momentum of war: once weapons are unleashed, their force spreads beyond individual rivalry to widespread harm. It invites reflection on the ethical burden of violence even when framed as kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that chariot-warriors have released swift, blazing arrows, which are striking war-elephants and chariots—depicting an intense phase of the battlefield exchange.