Shloka 12
Adhyāya 17 — गजयुद्ध-वृत्तान्तः, सहदेव-दुःशासन-संघर्षः, नकुल-कर्ण-समागमः
Elephant-battle account; Sahadeva–Duhshasana clash; Nakula–Karna encounter
ततोअरर्जुनं भिन्नकटेन दन्तिना घनाघनेनानिलतुल्यवर्चसा । अतीव चुक्षो भयिषुर्जनार्दनं धनंजयं चाभिजघान तोमरै:,उन्होंने गण्डस्थलसे मदकी धारा बहानेवाले, वायुके समान वेगशाली, मदोन्मत्त गजराजके द्वारा अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्णको अत्यन्त घबराहटमें डालनेकी इच्छासे उसे उन दोनोंकी ओर बढ़ाया और तोमरोंसे उन दोनोंपर प्रहार किया
tato 'rjunaṃ bhinnakaṭena dantinā ghanāghanenānilatulyavarcāsā | atīva cukṣo bhayiṣur janārdanaṃ dhanaṃjayaṃ cābhijaghāna tomaraiḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Then, with a rutting elephant whose temples streamed with ichor—dark as a rain-cloud and radiant, swift as the wind—he drove it forward, intent on throwing Janardana (Krishna) and Dhananjaya (Arjuna) into extreme alarm; and he struck at them with javelins. The scene underscores the war’s ruthless escalation, where fear is deliberately weaponized against even the foremost warriors.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical reality of warfare: opponents may intentionally generate terror and confusion as a tactic. It implicitly contrasts such fear-inducing aggression with the steadiness expected of exemplary warriors—especially Arjuna and Krishna—who must remain composed amid intimidation.
In the Karna Parva battle narrative, an enemy advances a powerful rutting elephant toward Arjuna and Krishna, aiming to panic them, and simultaneously attacks them with tomara-javelins.