Shloka 48
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
तयोस्तस्य च तद् युद्धमत्यद्भुतमिवाभवत् । सिंहस्य द्विपमुख्याभ्यां प्रभिन्नाभ्यां यथा वने
tayos tasya ca tad yuddham atyadbhutam ivābhavat | siṁhasya dvipamukhyābhyāṁ prabhinnābhyāṁ yathā vane ||
Sañjaya berkata: Pertempuran antara kedua-dua mereka dengan pahlawan itu tampak sungguh menakjubkan—seperti singa di rimba bertemu dua ekor gajah utama, kedua-duanya sedang mengamuk dalam musim musth. Perumpamaan ini menegaskan kekaguman dan bahaya pertempuran wira, di mana keperkasaan diukur bukan hanya dengan tenaga, tetapi juga dengan keteguhan ketika berdepan tentangan yang mengatasi.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic ideal of steadfast valor under daunting odds: combat can be ‘wondrous’ not as spectacle alone, but as a measure of resolve and prowess when a single hero faces formidable opponents—like a lion confronting two mighty elephants.
Sañjaya describes a particular duel (or clash) as extraordinarily astonishing, using a vivid comparison: it resembled a lion’s fight in the forest against two chief elephants in musth, conveying intensity, danger, and the grandeur of the warriors’ encounter.