Shloka 15
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
सादिनश्चाश्वपृष्ठेभ्यो भूमौ चापि पदातिन: । गदया व्यधमत् सर्वान् वातो वृक्षानिवौजसा
sādinaścāśvapṛṣṭhebhyo bhūmau cāpi padātinaḥ | gadayā vyadhamat sarvān vāto vṛkṣānivaujasā ||
Sañjaya sprach: Mit seiner Keule schlug er sie alle nieder — die Reiter von den Pferderücken und die Fußsoldaten am Boden — wie ein gewaltiger Wind, der Bäume ausreißt. Der Vers betont die überwältigende, unpersönliche Gewalt des Schlachtfeldes: Kraft und Schwung können Reihen ohne Ansehen des Standes zerstreuen und erinnern an die schnelle, alles gleichmachende Zerstörung des Krieges.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war’s force can become indiscriminate and leveling: mounted and unmounted alike are felled when overwhelming power is unleashed. Ethically, it invites reflection on the destructive momentum of battle and the fragility of human position amid violence.
Sañjaya describes a warrior using a mace to smash through enemy ranks, knocking cavalry from their horses and striking down infantry on the ground, compared to a strong wind that uproots trees.