Shloka 123
कर्णभीमसेनयुद्धम् | Karṇa–Bhīmasena Engagement
Chapter 111
तस्माद् रथव्रजान्मुक्तो वनदाहादिव द्विप: । उस समय अलम्बुष अपने अस्त्रोंकी मायासे उनके उस महान् अस्त्रवेगको दबाकर रथसमूहके उस घेरेसे मुक्त हो गया, मानो कोई गजराज दावानलके घेरेसे बाहर हो गया हो
tasmād rathavrajān mukto vanadāhād iva dvipaḥ |
सञ्जय उवाच—तस्माद् रथव्रजाद् मुक्तो वनदाहादिव द्विपः। अलम्बुषोऽस्त्रमायया तस्य महास्त्रवेगं निरुद्ध्य रथसमूहपरिवेष्टनात् निष्क्रान्तः, यथा गजराजो दावानलपरिक्षेपात् बहिर्निष्पतति।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the volatility of battle: even when surrounded by concentrated force (a chariot-formation), a combatant may escape through strength, timing, or tactical means. Ethically, it reflects how war amplifies peril and urgency, where survival often depends on swift discernment rather than ideal outcomes.
Sañjaya describes a warrior breaking out from an encircling mass of chariots. The escape is compared to a powerful elephant forcing its way out of a ring of forest fire, emphasizing both the danger of the encirclement and the forcefulness of the breakout.