Shloka 18
Adhyāya 17 — गजयुद्ध-वृत्तान्तः, सहदेव-दुःशासन-संघर्षः, नकुल-कर्ण-समागमः
Elephant-battle account; Sahadeva–Duhshasana clash; Nakula–Karna encounter
क्षुरप्रकृत्ती सुभृशं॑ सतोमरौ शुभाड़दौ चन्दनरूषितौ भुजौ । गजात् पतन््तौ युगपद् विरेजतु- ्यथाद्रिशुड्भाद रुचिरो महोरगौ
sañjaya uvāca |
kṣuraprakṛttī subhṛśaṃ satomarau śubhāṅgadāu candanarūṣitau bhujau |
gajāt patantau yugapad virejatuḥ yathādriśṛṅgād rucirau mahoragau ||
សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយ៖ ដៃទាំងពីរនោះ—មុតដូចកាំបិតកោរ មានទោមរជាប់នៅលើវា ពាក់កងដៃដ៏ស្រស់ស្អាត ហើយលាបឈើចន្ទន៍—បានភ្លឺរលោង ខណៈពេលធ្លាក់ចុះជាមួយគ្នាពីលើដំរី ដូចពស់ធំស្រស់ស្អាតពីរដែលរអិលធ្លាក់ពីកំពូលភ្នំ។
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a striking simile to show how quickly worldly splendor and physical prowess collapse in war; it implicitly cautions that glory rooted in violence is unstable and that embodied power is impermanent.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s two ornamented, weapon-bearing arms falling together from an elephant, comparing the sight to two great serpents sliding down from a mountain summit—an image emphasizing both beauty and horror on the battlefield.