Shloka 56
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
घण्टाश्न विविधा राजन् हेमगर्भान् त्सरूनपि | पतत: पातितांश्रैव पश्याम: सह सादिभि:
ghaṇṭāś ca vividhā rājan hema-garbhān tsarūn api | patataḥ pātitāṁś caiva paśyāmaḥ saha sādibhiḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Ó Rei, vemos também muitos tipos de sinos e espadas de punho dourado—umas caindo, outras já derrubadas—junto com suas bainhas.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark impermanence of martial glory: even splendid, gold-adorned weapons and ornaments become scattered debris. It implicitly cautions against pride in power and highlights the human cost and futility that accompany adharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra what is visible on the battlefield: bells, swords with golden hilts, and their scabbards—some still falling, others already knocked down—indicating intense fighting and the disarray left in its wake.