Shloka 423
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
प्रेषयामास सहसा युयुधानरथं प्रति । उस समय प्राग्ज्योतिषपुरके राजाने उस महान् गजराजको सब ओरसे काबूमें करके सहसा सात्यकिके रथकी ओर बढ़ाया
preṣayāmāsa sahasā yuyudhānarathaṃ prati |
Sañjaya said: The king of Prāgjyotiṣapura, having brought the mighty lord of elephants fully under control from every side, suddenly drove it forward toward Sātyaki’s chariot—an act of swift, forceful aggression in the thick of battle, where mastery over one’s mount becomes a weapon and intent is measured by decisive movement.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the battlefield ethic of the Mahābhārata, power is inseparable from discipline: the king’s ability to control a massive elephant symbolizes mastery over instruments of violence. The verse highlights how decisive intent and controlled force shape outcomes, while also implying the moral weight of directing such force against a worthy opponent.
Sañjaya narrates that the king of Prāgjyotiṣapura, after steadying and controlling his great war-elephant, suddenly charges it toward Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna) and his chariot, initiating a direct and dangerous assault.