Shloka 15
जघान गदया राजजन्नश्वत्थामानमित्युत । परप्रमथनं घोरं मालवस्येन्द्रवर्मण:,राजन्! तब महाबाहु भीमसेनने अपनी ही सेनाके एक विशाल हाथीको गदासे मार डाला। उसका नाम था अअश्वत्थामा। शत्रुओंको मथ डालनेवाला वह भयंकर गजराज मालवाके राजा इन्द्रवर्माका था
jaghāna gadayā rājan nāśvatthāmānam ity uta | parapramathanaṃ ghoraṃ mālavasya indravarmaṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, Bhīmasena struck down with his mace a huge elephant from his own army, named Aśvatthāmā. That dreadful lord of elephants—one who crushed the enemy ranks—belonged to Indravarman, the king of the Mālavas. The act forms part of the grim stratagem of war, where appearances and names are used to shape belief and morale amid the ethical strain of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral pressure of wartime strategy: even mighty heroes may commit harsh acts that serve a larger tactical purpose, raising questions about dharma under extreme circumstances—how truth, intent, and consequence collide in battle.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma kills an elephant in the Pāṇḍava army whose name is Aśvatthāmā. The elephant belongs to Indravarman of the Mālavas and is described as a fearsome enemy-crusher.