Shloka 17
कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna
Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying
शरै: कनकपुड्खैश्न चित्रा रेजुर्गजोत्तमा: । उल्काभि: सम्प्रदीप्ताग्रा: पर्वता इव भारत,भरतनन्दन! विचित्र प्रकारसे सजे हुए उत्तम हाथी सुवर्णमय पंखवाले बाणोंके लगनेसे उल्काओंद्वारा उद्दीप्त शिखरोंवाले पर्वतोंके समान शोभा पा रहे थे
śaraiḥ kanakapudkhaiś ca citrā rejur gajottamāḥ | ulkābhiḥ sampradīptāgrāḥ parvatā iva bhārata bharatanandana ||
Sañjaya said: The finest elephants, adorned in varied fashion, shone brilliantly when struck by arrows with golden fletching; they looked like mountains whose peaks blaze with meteors—O Bhārata, O joy of the Bharatas. The image underscores the terrible splendor of battle, where even noble creatures become luminous signs of destruction rather than instruments of righteous order.
संजय उवाच