Shloka 16
भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
अथैनं दशभिरन्बाणिस्तोत्रैरिव महाद्विपम् । आजपघान रणे वीरं स्मयन्निव महारथ:
athainaṁ daśabhir anubāṇais totrair iva mahādvipam | ājaghāna raṇe vīraṁ smayann iva mahārathaḥ ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: Pagkaraan, tinamaan ng dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe ang bayaning iyon sa labanan ng sampung kasunod na palaso, na wari’y ginigiya ang dambuhalang elepante sa pamamagitan ng kawit ng mahout—na para bang may bahagyang ngiti.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, skill and dominance can be expressed with unsettling ease—“as if smiling.” It invites reflection on the ethical tension in kṣatriya-duty: even when battle is framed as duty, the manner of violence (confidence, relish, restraint, or cruelty) carries moral weight.
Sañjaya describes a great chariot-warrior striking a heroic opponent with ten successive arrows in the midst of battle, likening the repeated blows to an elephant being prodded by a goad—emphasizing forceful control and the intensity of the exchange.