Shloka 9
वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्
Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit
स वारणं नगप्रख्यं प्रभिन्नकरटामुखम् । प्रेषयामास संक्रुद्धः श्वेताश्वं प्रति पार्थिव:,क्रोधमें भरे हुए राजा वज्रदत्तने श्वेतवाहन अर्जुनकी ओर अपने पर्वताकार विशालकाय गजराजको, जिसके गण्डस्थलसे मदकी धारा बह रही थी, बढ़ाया
sa vāraṇaṁ nagaprakhyaṁ prabhinnakaraṭāmukham | preṣayāmāsa saṅkruddhaḥ śvetāśvaṁ prati pārthivaḥ ||
ക്രോധം നിറഞ്ഞ രാജാവ് വജ്രദത്തൻ, പർവ്വതസദൃശവും കപോളങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മദധാര ഒഴുകുന്നതുമായ ആ മഹാഗജത്തെ ശ്വേതാശ്വധ്വജനായ അർജുനന്റെ നേരെ അയച്ചു.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how krodha (anger) can override discernment: a ruler, driven by rage, unleashes disproportionate force. In dharmic terms, power should be governed by self-control; otherwise, it intensifies harm and disorder.
The narrator states that an enraged king dispatches a massive rutting war-elephant—described as mountain-like and streaming temple-fluid—charging it toward Śvetāśva, i.e., Arjuna’s white-horsed chariot in the battle episode of the Aśvamedhika Parva.