Shloka 15
भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति उपालम्भः
Bhīṣma’s Reproof to Duryodhana
शरशव्त्यूष्टिनाराचैर्निघ्नन्तो गजयोधिन: । भिन्दिपालैस्तथा शूलैर्मुद्गरैः सपरश्वधै:
sañjaya uvāca | śaraśaktyūṣṭhinārācair nighnanto gajayodhinaḥ | bhindipālaiś tathā śūlair mudgaraiḥ saparaśvadhaiḥ ||
三阇耶说道：“乘象而战的勇士以箭矢、投枪与铁棍击倒敌人；又以bhindipāla、长矛、钉头槌与战斧同样杀伐。此景尽显战阵中多兵器、无休止的暴烈：武艺不再用于克制，而尽数倾向毁灭。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how, in war, power and skill manifest as relentless harm through many instruments. In ethical reflection, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya warfare as duty and the tragic human cost of unrestrained violence.
Sañjaya reports intense fighting in which elephant-mounted warriors are striking down opponents using a range of weapons—arrows, javelins, heavy clubs, darts, spears, maces, and axes—emphasizing the ferocity and variety of combat on the battlefield.