Shloka 53
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
पटुघण्टाशतरवां वासवीमशनीमिव । निर्मुक्ताशीविषाकारां पृक्तां गजमदैरपि,उसमें सैकड़ों घंटियाँ लगी थीं, जिनका कलरव गूँजता रहता था। वह इन्द्रके वज्ञकी भाँति भयानक जान पड़ती थी। केंचुलसे छूटे हुए विषधर सर्पके समान वह सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके मनमें भय उत्पन्न करती थी और अपनी सेनाका हर्ष बढ़ाती रहती थी। उसमें हाथीके मद लिपटे हुए थे। पर्वतशिखरोंको विदीर्ण करनेवाली वह गदा मनुष्यलोकमें सर्वत्र विख्यात है
sañjaya uvāca | paṭu-ghaṇṭā-śata-ravāṃ vāsavīm aśanīm iva | nirmuktāśīviṣākārāṃ pṛktāṃ gaja-madair api ||
Sañjaya said: “That mace, resonant with the sharp clamor of hundreds of bells, looked dreadful like Indra’s thunderbolt. Like a venomous serpent that has cast off its slough, it struck fear into the hearts of all beings, even as it heightened the exhilaration of its own host; it was also smeared with the rut-fluid of elephants.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how instruments of war are designed to amplify psychological impact: terrorizing opponents while emboldening one’s own side. It implicitly warns that violence operates not only through physical force but also through fear and morale.
Sañjaya is vividly describing a formidable mace in the battlefield context—its bell-like clamor, its thunderbolt-like dreadfulness, its serpent-like fearfulness, and its being smeared with elephant rut-fluid—highlighting its terrifying presence and its effect on both armies.