Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 32
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
आविग्नं च बल॑ सर्व गदाहस्ते वृकोदरे
sañjaya uvāca | āvignaṃ ca balaṃ sarvaṃ gadāhaste vṛkodare | bhīmasenasya gadayā dhūlidhūsaraparvatākārāṇāṃ hastināṃ kumbhasthalāni vidīryante sma te ca vidrutā diśo diśaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Apabila Vṛkodara menggenggam gada di tangannya, seluruh bala Kaurava pun menjadi cemas dan gentar. Kami melihat bahawa dihentam gada Bhīmasena, bonggol dahi (kumbhasthala) gajah-gajah yang bersalut debu, besar laksana gunung, terbelah; lalu binatang-binatang itu lari bertempiaran ke segala arah. Adegan ini menegaskan bahawa kekuatan tekad seorang pahlawan mampu memecahkan bahkan alat perang yang paling gagah, menukar keangkuhan dan kuasa beramai-ramai menjadi panik.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical reality of war: strength and resolve can decisively alter collective morale, yet the same power brings grievous suffering. It implicitly warns against overreliance on sheer numbers and war-machines (like elephants), showing how fear spreads when leadership and confidence are shaken.
Sanjaya reports that as soon as Bhima (Vrikodara) takes up his mace, the Kaurava forces become alarmed. Bhima strikes the war elephants so forcefully that their frontal globes split, and the elephants, maddened and terrified, run away in all directions, disrupting the Kaurava formation.