Shloka 44
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
अश्ववन्देषु नागेषु रथानीकेषु चाभि भू: । पदातीनां च संघेषु विनिघ्नन् शोणितोक्षित:,शक्तिशाली भीमसेन घोड़ों, हाथियों, रथों और पैदलोंके समूहोंमें घुसकर सबका संहार करते हुए रक्तसे भीग गये
aśvavandeṣu nāgeṣu rathānīkeṣu cābhibhūḥ | padātīnāṃ ca saṃgheṣu vinighnan śoṇitokṣitaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Mengatasi barisan kuda dan gajah, lalu menerobos masuk ke dalam formasi kereta perang dan himpunan besar infantri, dia menewaskan mereka tanpa henti—tubuhnya bermandi darah. Rangkap ini menegaskan beban moral tugas di medan perang: keberanian dan keberkesanan terserlah, namun pemandangan itu sarat dengan harga keganasan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior’s effectiveness in battle while implicitly pointing to the ethical gravity of war: even when action aligns with kṣatriya-duty, it is inseparable from suffering and bloodshed, inviting reflection on responsibility and consequence.
Sañjaya describes a fierce assault in which the warrior breaks into enemy groupings—cavalry, elephants, chariot-units, and infantry masses—cutting them down so extensively that he becomes drenched in blood.