Shloka 55
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
तूणीरानथ यन्त्राणि विचित्राणि धनूंषि च | भिन्दिपालानि शुभ्राणि तोत्राणि चाड्कुशै: सह
tūṇīrān atha yantrāṇi vicitrāṇi dhanūṃṣi ca | bhindipālāni śubhrāṇi totrāṇi cāṅkuśaiḥ saha
Disse Sañjaya: “Depois havia aljavas, engenhosas máquinas de guerra e muitos tipos de arcos; brilhantes dardos bhindipāla, e também aguilhões e ganchos.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive, but it implicitly highlights how war depends on systematic preparation and specialized instruments. Ethically, it invites reflection on the human agency behind violence: weapons are gathered intentionally, and their presence signals the escalation from intention to action.
Sañjaya continues reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, listing the array of equipment present—quivers, mechanical devices/war-engines, bows, javelins, and elephant-driving implements like goads and hooks—conveying the scale and readiness of the forces for battle.