Shloka 22
Bhagadatta’s Astra and the Fall of the Prāgjyotiṣa King (भगदत्त-वधः / वैष्णवास्त्र-प्रसङ्गः)
उस सेनाके मथ डाले जानेपर राजा भगदत्तने उसी सुप्रतीक हाथीके द्वारा सहसा धनंजयपर धावा किया ।। त॑ रथेन नरव्याप्र: प्रत्यगृह्नाद् धनंजय: । स संनिपातस्तुमुलो बभूव रथनागयो:
taṁ rathena naravyāghraḥ pratyagṛhṇād dhanañjayaḥ | sa saṁnipātas tumulo babhūva rathanāgayoḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), the tiger among men, met him head-on with his chariot. Then a deafening, tumultuous clash arose between the chariot and the war-elephant—each driven by unwavering resolve in the fury of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: steadfastly facing an onrushing threat without retreat. Ethically, it emphasizes courage and composure—meeting force with disciplined resolve rather than panic.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna confronting an attacker directly with his chariot, resulting in a loud, intense clash between the chariot and a war-elephant, signaling a major close-quarters engagement.