कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
हत्वैनं पुनरायाति नागानन्यान् प्रहारिण:,“इस निषादपुत्रका वध करके वे पुनः प्रहार करनेवाले दूसरे-दूसरे हाथियोंपर आक्रमण कर रहे हैं। देखो, भीमसेन शक्ति और तोमरोंके समूहोंसे काले मेघोंकी घटाके समान हाथियोंको, जिनके कंधोंपर महावत बैठे हैं, मार रहे हैं
hatvainaṃ punar āyāti nāgān anyān prahāriṇaḥ |
Sañjaya nói: “Giết hắn xong, họ lại quay về để đánh tiếp. Sau khi hạ sát người con của tộc Niṣāda này, họ liên tiếp xông vào những con voi khác. Hãy nhìn Bhīmasena—như một khối mây mưa đen—dùng những loạt lao và tomara dồn dập mà quật ngã đàn voi, kể cả những con đang cõng quản tượng ngồi trên vai.”
संजय उवाच
The verse foregrounds the grim ethic of battlefield duty: relentless action and repeated assault are praised as martial effectiveness, yet the mention of a Niṣāda’s son hints at the moral strain of war—where social boundaries and the value of life are tested amid the demands of kṣatriya combat.
Sañjaya reports that after killing a Niṣāda’s son, the fighters return to attack more elephants. Bhīma is depicted as overwhelmingly powerful, striking down successive war-elephants—along with their mounted mahouts—using spears and tomara-javelins, compared to a dense bank of dark clouds.