Shloka 55
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
रथसंघांस्तथा नागान् हयांश्न हयसादिभि: । पादातांश्व सुसंक़ुद्ध/ शशशो5थ सहस्रश:
rathasaṅghāṁs tathā nāgān hayāṁś ca hayasādibhiḥ | pādātāṁś ca susaṅkruddhāḥ śaśaśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Havia também massas de carros, elefantes e cavalos—com cavaleiros e outras tropas—e uma infantaria incontável; todos, tomados de fúria, avançavam aos milhares.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the overwhelming momentum of war: when armies are seized by anger and collective fervor, violence multiplies rapidly. Implicitly, it cautions that unchecked krodha (wrath) and mass escalation can eclipse discernment and dharma, even in a context framed as kṣatriya conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield scene: large formations of chariots, elephants, cavalry (with riders), and infantry are advancing in huge numbers, described as intensely enraged—conveying the scale and ferocity of the engagement.