Shloka 9
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
त॑ शैनेय: शख्रातै: क्रुद्ध: क़ुद्धमवारयत् । कृतवर्मा च शैनेयं मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्
taṁ śaineyaḥ śakrātaiḥ kruddhaḥ kruddham avārayat | kṛtavarmā ca śaineyaṁ matto mattam iva dvipam ||
Sañjaya said: Enraged by the shafts, Śaineya checked the onrushing foe in his fury. And Kṛtavarmā, himself in a battle-mad frenzy, confronted Śaineya like an intoxicated elephant meeting another intoxicated elephant—an image of war’s escalating wrath where anger answers anger and restraint is hard to find.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger in war tends to mirror and amplify itself—one warrior’s fury provokes another’s, creating a cycle where ethical restraint becomes difficult. The elephant simile underscores the danger of uncontrolled martial frenzy.
During the fighting in Droṇa Parva, Śaineya (Sātyaki), provoked by a shower of arrows, halts an enraged opponent. Kṛtavarmā then confronts Śaineya with equal ferocity, compared to two intoxicated elephants clashing.