Shloka 12
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
प्रणेदुर्भिन्नमर्माणो निपेतुश्च गतासव: । प्राद्रवन्त दिश: केचिन्नदन्तो भैरवान् रवान्
sañjaya uvāca | praṇedur bhinnamarmāṇo nipetuś ca gatāsavaḥ | prādravanta diśaḥ kecin nadanto bhairavān ravān |
三阇耶说道：有些战象要害关节与薄弱处被击碎，长鸣一声，便倒地气绝；另一些则向四方奔逃，发出骇人的吼叫。此景凸显战斗残酷的惯性——即便最雄伟的战象，曾是王权与严训的象征，也在兵刃之力下沦为惊惶、崩溃与死亡。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: strength, training, and royal might (symbolized by elephants) cannot prevent suffering and death when violence escalates. It implicitly cautions against the delusion of control and the ethical cost of warfare.
Sañjaya describes battlefield chaos: some elephants, mortally wounded with their vital points shattered, trumpet and collapse dead; others panic and flee in all directions, emitting terrifying cries.