Shloka 19
भीमसेनस्य प्रतिघातः—भगदत्तगजप्रहारः—घटोत्कचमायायुद्धम्
Bhīma’s Counteroffensive, Bhagadatta’s Elephant Assault, and Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā Engagement
ततः प्रववृते युद्ध व्यतिषक्तरथद्धिपम्
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṁ vyatiṣakta-ratha-dvipam
Sañjaya berkata: “Kemudian perang pun benar-benar bermula, dengan kereta-kereta perang dan gajah-gajah perang berbaur serta bertaut rapat dalam pertempuran jarak dekat yang kacau—meningkat menjadi pertempuran besar, ketika tertib terlerai di bawah tekanan dan beban moral peperangan.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not present a direct doctrinal teaching; it underscores the ethical pressure-point of the epic: once war is set in motion, it rapidly becomes entangled and uncontrollable, testing discernment (dharma-buddhi) amid confusion and force.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting has fully begun, describing the battlefield as densely interwoven with chariots and elephants, indicating close-quarters clashes and the intensification of combat.