Shloka 20
कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna
Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying
दूसरे बहुत-से हाथी बाणोंसे व्यथित और घावोंसे पीड़ित हो भाग चले और कितने ही उस महासमरमें दोनों दाँतों और कुम्भस्थलोंको धरतीपर टेककर धराशायी हो गये ।।
dvitīyā bahavaḥ hastino bāṇair vyathitā vraṇaiś ca pīḍitāḥ palāyanta, kecid asmin mahāsamare ubhābhyāṃ dantābhyāṃ kumbhasthalaiś ca bhūmau nyasya nipetuḥ. vineduḥ siṃhavad anye nadanto bhairavān ravān; bhramur bahavo rājan, śruktūś ca apare gajāḥ.
Wika ni Sañjaya: Marami pang elepante, pinahirapan ng mga palaso at sugatang-sugatan, ang tumakas sa matinding sindak; at ang ilan, sa dakilang labanan, ay bumagsak sa lupa, sumasandig sa dalawang pangil at sa umbok ng noo (kumbhasthala). Ang iba’y umuungal na parang leon, naglalabas ng nakapanghihilakbot na sigaw; at marami pa, O Hari, ang pagala-gala sa pagkalito, samantalang ang iba’y sumisigaw at tumutunog ng trompeta. Ipinakikita ng tanawing ito ang kapalit na moral ng digmaan: maging ang makapangyarihan, dahil sa takot at kirot, ay nauuwi sa kawalang-kaya sa gitna ng kaguluhan ng karahasan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the collateral suffering caused by war: even powerful creatures like war-elephants are broken by pain and fear. It implicitly critiques the dehumanizing (and de-animalizing) force of violence, reminding the listener that martial glory is inseparable from widespread anguish.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that many elephants, pierced by arrows and wounded, flee the battlefield; some collapse after bracing their tusks and temple-globes on the ground. Others roar like lions, while many stagger about in confusion and cry out loudly amid the tumult.