Shloka 55
रुधिरेणावसिक्ताज़ो जलसंधस्य कुड्जर:
rudhireṇāvasiktāśo jalasaṃdhasya kuñjaraḥ
Sañjaya berkata: Gajah milik Jalasandha, tubuhnya diselaputi darah, tampak seolah-olah seluruhnya disapu dan digelapkan oleh gore—suatu gambaran yang menegaskan kekejaman medan perang, sehingga bahkan binatang perkasa pun menjadi alat dan mangsa keganasan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers a stark ethical reminder: war’s glory is inseparable from bloodshed and suffering. By highlighting a blood-soaked elephant, the narrative forces the listener to confront the cost of violence and the way battle reduces living beings—human and animal alike—into wounded instruments of conflict.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield scene in which an elephant associated with Jalasaṃdha is seen drenched in blood. The image intensifies the atmosphere of the Drona Parva’s fighting, emphasizing the ferocity of the encounter and the heavy casualties.