Shloka 20
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
शक्रदेवस्तु समरे विसृजन् सायकान् बहून्
śakradevas tu samare visṛjan sāyakān bahūn
Sañjaya nói: Giữa trận mạc, Śakra—chúa tể chư thiên—không ngừng phóng ra vô số mũi tên, gợi nên hình ảnh một sức mạnh áp đảo nhưng có kỷ luật được tung ra trong chiến tranh.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily functions as epic narration: it heightens the sense of martial intensity by invoking Indra (Śakra) as a benchmark of battlefield power, suggesting that disciplined, concentrated action can appear ‘divine’ in its effectiveness—while remaining within the grim reality of war.
Sañjaya describes a combat scene where a warrior’s arrow-shower is likened to Śakra (Indra) in battle, emphasizing a rapid, abundant discharge of missiles and the escalating ferocity of the encounter.