Shloka 48
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो नागो भरतसत्तम
sa gāḍhavid'dho vyathito nāgo bharatasattama
Sañjaya said: Deeply pierced and writhing in pain, the mighty elephant—O best of the Bharatas—was thrown into distress, a vivid sign of how relentless and morally weighty the violence of battle had become.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark reality of war: even powerful beings like war-elephants suffer intensely. It implicitly highlights the ethical gravity of violence and the heavy cost borne by living creatures in the pursuit of victory and duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an elephant on the battlefield has been struck deeply by a weapon and is now in visible agony, emphasizing the ferocity of the ongoing combat.