Shloka 43
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
संजातरुधिरोत्पीडो धातुचित्र इवाद्रिराट् । अनेक बाणोंसे घायल हुआ वह महान् गज रक्तरंजित होकर गेरु आदि धातुओंसे विचित्र दिखायी देनेवाले गिरिराजके समान सुशोभित हुआ ।।
sañjāta-rudhirotpīḍo dhātu-citra ivādrirāṭ | aneka-bāṇair āhato mahān gajo rakta-rañjitaḥ geru-ādi-dhātubhiś citra-darśī girirāja iva suśobhitavān || daśārṇādhipatiś cāpi gajaṃ bhūmidharopamam ||
Disse Sañjaya: Ferido por muitas flechas, o grande elefante começou a jorrar sangue. Tingido de vermelho, parecia esplêndido—como um rei das montanhas matizado por ocre e outras cores minerais. E o senhor de Daśārṇa também (avançou), com um elefante comparável a um pico que sustenta a montanha.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark cost of war: even majestic beings like war-elephants become canvases of suffering. By likening blood-stained wounds to mineral colors on a mountain, the text heightens the tragic grandeur of battle, implicitly inviting reflection on the ethical weight borne under kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya describes a great elephant struck by many arrows, bleeding profusely and appearing vividly colored like a mineral-streaked mountain. He then notes the approach/participation of the king of Daśārṇa as well, mounted on an elephant likened to a mountain.