Shloka 54
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
हस्तिवद्धस्तिसंकाशमभिदुद्राव ते सुतम् उस प्रहारसे भीमसेन मतवाले हाथीकी भाँति कुपित हो उठे और जैसे एक गजराज दूसरे गजराजपर धावा करता है, उसी प्रकार उन्होंने आपके पुत्रपर आक्रमण किया ।। ५३ ई || ततस्तु तरसा भीमो गदया तनयं तव
tatas tu tarasā bhīmo gadayā tanayaṃ tava | hastivad hastisaṅkāśam abhidudrāva te sutam ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, driven by sudden speed and wrath, rushed at your son with his mace—like a maddened elephant charging an elephant-like rival. The image underscores the unchecked momentum of battlefield fury, where personal enmity and martial duty collide and violence escalates beyond restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger and momentum in war can overpower restraint: even within kṣatriya duty, unchecked fury intensifies conflict. The elephant simile warns that when power meets power under rage, the encounter becomes crushing and difficult to moderate.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma charging at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son with a mace, comparing Bhīma to a maddened elephant rushing an elephant-like opponent—setting the scene for a fierce, direct clash.