Shloka 14
स पार्थबाणैस्तपनीय भूषणै: समाचित: काजउ्चनवर्मभृद् द्विप: । तथा चकाशे निशि पर्वतो यथा दावाग्निना प्रज्वलितौषधिद्रुम:,उसके सारे शरीरमें अर्जुनके सुवर्णभूषित बाण चुभ गये थे। इससे सुवर्णमय कवच धारण करनेवाला वह हाथी उसी प्रकार शोभा पाने लगा, जैसे रात्रिमें दावानलसे जलती हुई ओषधियों और वृक्षोंसे युक्त पर्वत प्रकाशित होता है
sa pārthabāṇais tapanīya-bhūṣaṇaiḥ samācitaḥ kāñcana-varma-bhṛd dvipaḥ | tathā cakāśe niśi parvato yathā dāvāgninā prajvalitauṣadhi-drumaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Pierced all over by Arjuna’s arrows adorned with gold, that elephant—wearing a golden coat of mail—shone brilliantly. It looked like a mountain at night, lit up by a forest-fire, blazing with herbs and trees. The image underscores the terrible splendor of battle: even suffering is transfigured into a fearful radiance by the instruments of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of war: destructive force can appear outwardly magnificent. It invites ethical reflection on how martial glory and aesthetic beauty can mask suffering, even while fulfilling the kṣatriya code of combat.
Sañjaya describes an armored elephant on the battlefield that has been struck all over by Arjuna’s gold-adorned arrows. The elephant’s body gleams, compared to a mountain at night illuminated by a raging forest-fire among herbs and trees.