Shloka 25
शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
अल्पावशिटष्टे सैन्येडस्मिन् सूतपुत्रे च पातिते । सपुत्रे वै नरव्याप्रे नैवाशाम्यत वैशसम्,'पुत्रसहित नरश्रेष्ठ सूतपुत्रके मार गिराये जानेपर जब कौरव-सेना थोड़ी-सी ही बच रही थी तो भी यह युद्धकी आग नहीं बुझी
sañjaya uvāca |
alpāvaśiṣṭe sainye 'smin sūtaputre ca pātite |
saputre vai naravyāghre naivāśāmyata vaiśasam ||
قال سنجيا: حتى حين لم يبقَ من هذا الجيش إلا بقية يسيرة، وحتى بعد أن صُرع ابن السائق—ومعه ذلك البطل الضاري كالنمر وابنه—لم تهدأ المذبحة. إن عنف الحرب، إذا أُطلق، يأبى أن يُطفأ؛ فالثأر والحزن يُبقيان نار الخراب متقدة، وإن بدا أن القضية قد حُسمت.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how violence, once set in motion by rage, grief, and vengeance, can continue beyond strategic necessity; ethical restraint (dharma) becomes hardest precisely when losses are greatest, yet that is when it is most needed.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that despite the Kaurava forces being reduced to a small remainder and despite the fall of the ‘sūtaputra’ (commonly Karna) and other leading warriors (described as ‘tiger among men’ along with his son), the carnage of battle still did not calm down.