Shloka 24
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
विक्षोभयन्तं सेनां ते त्रासयन्तं च पार्थिवान् | धनंजयमपश्याम नलिनीमिव कुठ्जरम्,“जैसे मतवाला हाथी तालाबमें घुसकर उसे मथ डालता है, उसी प्रकार हमने अर्जुनको तुम्हारी सेनाको मथते और राजाओंको भयभीत करते देखा है
vikṣobhayantaṃ senāṃ te trāsayantaṃ ca pārthivān | dhanañjayam apaśyāma nalinīm iva kuñjaram ||
Sañjaya said: “We saw Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) churning your army into turmoil and striking fear into the kings—like an elephant in rut entering a lotus-pond and violently stirring it up.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming martial excellence can destabilize an entire force: when a leader’s prowess breaks formation and morale, even powerful kings become fearful. Ethically, it underscores the psychological dimension of warfare—victory is shaped not only by weapons but by courage, cohesion, and the capacity to withstand shock.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna is violently disrupting the Kaurava ranks and terrifying the assembled rulers. He uses a vivid comparison: like a rutting elephant entering a lotus-pond and churning it, Arjuna ‘churns’ the battlefield, turning ordered ranks into turmoil.