Shloka 44
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
समास्थितो$भिदुद्राव भगदत्तस्यथ वारणम् । तदनन्तर दशार्णदेशके राजा भी एक पर्वताकार हाथीपर आरूढ़ हो भगदत्तके हाथीकी ओर बढ़े || ४३ ह || तमापतन्तं समरे गजं गजपति: स च
samāsthito ’bhidudrāva bhagadattasyātha vāraṇam | tad-anantaraṁ daśārṇa-deśake rājā bhī eka parvatākāra-hāthī-par ārūḍhaḥ bhagadattasya hāstinaḥ or vavṛdhe || 43 h || tam āpatantaṁ samare gajaṁ gaja-patiḥ sa ca
Sañjaya said: Then, having taken his position, the king of Daśārṇa charged straight toward Bhagadatta’s elephant. Mounted upon a mountain-like elephant, he advanced in battle against Bhagadatta’s great mount. As that elephant came rushing in the fight, its lord and driver also pressed forward—an encounter of power with power, where pride and prowess are tested amid the moral weight of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Kṣatriya ethos of steadfastness and direct engagement in battle—strength meeting strength—while implicitly reminding the reader that even displays of valor occur within the grave moral atmosphere of war.
Sañjaya describes the king of Daśārṇa, mounted on a massive elephant, charging toward Bhagadatta’s elephant; the scene sets up a dramatic elephant-to-elephant clash as both sides surge forward.