Shloka 426
मत्तो द्विप इव क्रुद्धः प्रतिकुड्जरदर्शनात् । जैसे क्रोधमें भरा हुआ मतवाला हाथी अपने प्रतिद्वन्द्ी गजराजको देखकर सहन नहीं कर पाता, उसी प्रकार रणभूमिमें अपनी गदाको प्रतिहत हुई देख कुरुवंशी दुर्योधन नहीं सह सका
matto dvipa iva kruddhaḥ pratikūñjaradarśanāt |
Sañjaya said: Like an intoxicated elephant, enraged at the sight of a rival tusker, Duryodhana—seeing his mace checked on the battlefield—could not endure it. The image underscores how wounded pride and uncontrolled anger, rather than discernment, can drive a warrior deeper into ruin amid the moral chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unrestrained anger and wounded pride cloud judgment; in war, such passions can overpower dharma-guided restraint and hasten one’s downfall.
Sañjaya describes Duryodhana’s reaction after his mace is checked/repelled in combat: he becomes furious, likened to a maddened elephant provoked by the sight of a rival tusker.