Shloka 256
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
रथैरनेकसाहसैर्भीमस्यावारयद् दिश: । अपने पुत्रको मारा गया देख कलिंगराजने कई हजार रथोंके द्वारा भीमसेनकी सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंको रोक लिया
rathair aneka-sāhasair bhīmasyāvārayad diśaḥ |
सञ्जय उवाच—स्वपुत्रं निहतं दृष्ट्वा कलिङ्गराजः शोकक्रोधसमन्वितः अनेकसाहस्रैः रथैः भीमस्य दिशः सर्वाः अवारयत्।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how personal loss in war can rapidly turn into retaliatory action; it implicitly warns that grief and anger can drive escalation, testing dharma even for kṣatriyas bound to fight.
After his son is killed, the king of Kaliṅga responds by deploying many thousands of chariots to block and surround Bhīmasena from all sides, attempting to check his advance on the battlefield.