Shloka 7
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
रथैरनेकसाहस्रै: कलिड्रानां नराधिप । अयुतेन गजानां च निषादै: सह केतुमान्
rathair aneka-sāhasraiḥ kaliṅgānāṁ narādhipa | ayutena gajānāṁ ca niṣādaiḥ saha ketumān ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ നരാധിപാ! കലിംഗരുടെ അനേകം സഹസ്ര രഥങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ കേതുമാൻ മുന്നേറി; നിഷാദന്മാരോടൊപ്പം പത്തായിരം ഗജങ്ങളെയും കൂട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുവന്നു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the epic’s ethical backdrop of war: rulers marshal vast, diverse forces through alliances, highlighting how political power and collective choices amplify the scale and consequences of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Ketumān is advancing as part of the war host, bringing many thousands of Kaliṅga chariots and a contingent of ten thousand elephants, along with Niṣāda fighters.