Shloka 57
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
राजन! हमलोगोंने वहाँ देखा
sañjaya uvāca | rājann! tatra sma dṛṣṭavantaḥ bahūn tomarān mahāvatāṁś ca śiraś-chinnān patitān; gajānāṁ pṛṣṭheṣu vicitra-vicitrāḥ śibikā-śāṭikāḥ (jhulāḥ) patitāḥ; gajānāṁ bandhanārthaṁ suvarṇa-bhūṣitāḥ dīptā rajjavo nipatitāḥ; gaja-aśva-kaṇṭha-bhūṣaṇāni, śaktayaḥ, patākāḥ, kaṇapāḥ (astraviśeṣāḥ), tarakṣavaḥ, vicitrāṇi yantrāṇi, dhanūṁṣi, dīptā bhindipālāḥ, totrāṇi, aṅkuśāḥ, nānāvidhā ghaṇṭāḥ, suvarṇa-jaṭitāḥ khaḍga-muṣṭayaś ca—etāni sarvāṇi gaja-ārohakaiḥ saha patitāni patanty eva ca || chinna-gātra-avarakarair anihatāiś cāpi vāraṇaiḥ | āsīd bhūmiḥ samāstīrṇā patitair bhūdharair iva || kvacit chinna-gajānāṁ śarīra-ūrdhva-bhāgāḥ, kvacid adho-bhāgāḥ; kvacit chinnāḥ śuṇḍāḥ, kvacid hatānāṁ vāraṇānāṁ loṭhāḥ. taiḥ samācchāditā sā raṇa-bhūmiḥ patitaiḥ bhūdharair iva saṁvṛtā pratibhāti |
三阇耶说道：“大王啊，我们在那里看见许多驭象者与战士被击倒，头颅被斩落，长矛无数散落于地。战场上铺满了大象的华丽鞍饰——从象背滑落的五彩覆毯——以及用来缚束、驾驭大象的、镶金闪耀的绳索。象与马的颈饰四散其间，又有长枪、战旗、奇特兵器、箭囊、精巧机括、弓弩、光亮的投枪、驱象棒、象钩、各式铃铛，以及嵌金的剑柄——这些器物都与骑乘者一同坠落，并仍在不断坠落。 纵然肢体与上半身已被斩断，仍有大象挣动奔突；大地遂被那巨大的躯体铺成一片，仿佛覆着崩塌的群山。此处横陈象的上半截，彼处散落下半截；这里是被斩断的象鼻，那里是被杀的大象尸骸。战场被它们遮蔽，宛如一方山河埋在塌落的峰峦之下——这正是战争惨烈代价的写照，也是暴力之中世间荣华倾覆的象征。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and existential cost of war: even royal splendor—golden ornaments, banners, and elaborate equipment—collapses into debris amid slaughter. It implicitly warns that power and display are impermanent, while violence leaves enduring suffering.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhritarashtra what he sees on the battlefield: severed heads of mahouts, fallen spears, scattered trappings and weapons, and elephants cut into parts or lying dead. The field is so covered with elephant bodies that it resembles a terrain buried under fallen mountains.