Shloka 33
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
कुण्जरेण प्रभिन्नेन सप्तधा स्रवता मदम् | पर्वतेन यथा तोयं स्रवमाणेन सर्वश:,वे जिस हाथीपर आरूढ़ थे, उसके कुम्भस्थलसे मदकी सात धाराएँ गिर रही थीं। वह सब ओरसे जलके झरने बहानेवाले पर्वतके समान जान पड़ता था
kuñjareṇa prabhinnena saptadhā sravatā madam | parvatena yathā toyaṃ sravamāṇena sarvaśaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: The elephant on which he was mounted, its temples split and streaming must in seven rivulets, looked like a mountain from which water pours down in cascades on every side—an image of overwhelming force and unstoppable momentum amid the press of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily serves as epic characterization: it uses a vivid simile to convey irresistible martial energy. Ethically, it underscores how war magnifies power and spectacle, reminding the listener that such force—though awe-inspiring—belongs to the perilous realm of conflict rather than to dharmic peace.
Sanjaya narrates the battlefield scene to Dhritarashtra, describing a warrior mounted on a rutting elephant whose temples stream ichor in seven rivulets, making the elephant appear like a mountain shedding waterfalls on all sides.