Shloka 36
Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana
Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa
असम्बद्धा महाराज तान् निगृह्नन्ति ते गजा: । पुष्करै: पद्मसंकाशैविंकसद्धिमहाप्र भै:
asambaddhā mahārāja tān nigṛhṇanti te gajāḥ | puṣkaraiḥ padma-saṅkāśair vikaśad-dhima-hāprabhaiḥ ||
サンジャヤは言った。「大王よ、あの象たちは容赦なく彼らを捕らえて踏み砕き、蓮華のごとき鼻で打ち据える——大きく開き、燦然と輝き、偉大な光彩に燃えるかのように——戦場の喧噪のただ中で。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and practical truth that war, once set in motion, tends to become indiscriminate and uncontrollable; power (here, elephants) can overwhelm human intention, reminding rulers of the grave responsibility involved in choosing conflict.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra how elephants on the battlefield are overpowering combatants, using their lotus-like, fully spread trunks to seize and crush, intensifying the chaos of the fight.