Shloka 14
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
बलानि सम्ममर्दाशु नड्वलानीव कुञज्जर: । पाण्डुनन्दन भीम अपने महान् वेगसे रथसमूहोंको खींचकर नष्ट कर देते और शीघ्र ही सारी सेनाको उसी प्रकार रौंद डालते थे, जैसे हाथी नरकुलके पौधोंको ।। मृदनन् रथेभ्यो रथिनो गजेभ्यो गजयोधिन:
sañjaya uvāca | balāni sammamardāśu naḍvalānīva kuñjaraḥ | pāṇḍunandano bhīmaḥ svamahān vegena rathasamūhān ākarṣya nāśayām āsa, śīghraṃ ca sarvāṃ senām evaṃ mardayām āsa, yathā kuñjaraḥ narakulaprasthān | mṛdnan rathebhyo rathino gajebhyo gajayodhinaḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: Como um elefante que esmaga depressa moitas moitas de caniços, Bhīma —filho de Pāṇḍu—, com sua tremenda velocidade, arrastou e destruiu massas de carros. Em pouco tempo ele pisoteou todo o exército, como um elefante esmaga moitas de cana. Ele esmagou os guerreiros de carro para fora de seus carros, e os combatentes de elefante para fora de seus elefantes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily narrative rather than didactic: it highlights the overwhelming force of a warrior in battle and the terrifying, impersonal momentum of war. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—kṣatriya-duty compels combat, yet the imagery (crushing living beings like reeds) reminds the listener of war’s dehumanizing destructiveness.
Sañjaya reports Bhīma’s onslaught: Bhīma rushes with immense speed, drags and smashes groups of chariots, and tramples the enemy host. The simile compares his action to an elephant crushing reed-beds; an added line states he also crushes chariot-fighters off their chariots and elephant-fighters off their elephants.