Shloka 76
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भीमसेनं रणे राजन् समन्तात् पर्यवारयत् | नरेश्वर! कलिंगोंके कई सहस्न रथ और दस हजार हाथियों एवं निषादोंके साथ केतुमान् उस रणस्थलमें भीमसेनको सब ओरसे रोकने लगा
sañjaya uvāca |
bhīmasenaṁ raṇe rājan samantāt paryavārayat |
nareśvara kaliṅgānāṁ bahavaḥ sahasraśo rathā daśa-sāhasrāṇi ca hastinaḥ niṣādaiḥ saha ketumān raṇa-sthale bhīmasenaṁ sarvataḥ paryavārayat |
kṣurābhyāṁ cakra-rakṣī ca kaliṅgasya mahābalau |
satyadevaṁ ca satyaṁ ca prāhiṇod yama-sādanam ||
Disse Sañjaya: Ó rei, na batalha Bhīmasena foi cercado por todos os lados. Ó senhor dos homens, Ketumān—apoiado por muitos milhares de carros de Kaliṅga, dez mil elefantes e pelos Niṣādas—rodeou Bhīma no campo de guerra de todas as direções. Então, com duas flechas de lâmina afiada, enviou à morada de Yama os poderosos guardas das rodas do rei de Kaliṅga, Satyadeva e Satya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh dharma of battlefield duty: warriors face encirclement, counterattack, and death as immediate consequences of martial engagement; it also highlights how leadership and tactical formations (surrounding, chariot-guards) shape outcomes.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma is surrounded by Ketumān’s Kaliṅga forces—chariots, elephants, and Niṣādas. In the ensuing clash, two prominent chariot wheel-guards, Satyadeva and Satya, are struck down and sent to Yama’s realm.