Shloka 12
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
कुण्जरै: स्यन्दना भग्ना: सादिनश्न महारथै:
kuñjaraiḥ syandanā bhagnāḥ sādināś ca mahārathaiḥ
Sañjaya sprach: „In jenem wilden Zusammenprall zerschmetterten die Elefanten die Streitwagen, und die großen Wagenkrieger hieben die Reiter nieder—ein Bild der erdrückenden Gewalt des Krieges, in dem Stolz wie Tapferkeit unter überwältigender Brutalität zusammenschrumpfen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the destructive momentum of war: even the highest martial status (mahāratha) and prized war-machines (chariots) are vulnerable. It implicitly cautions against attachment to power and highlights the grave cost inherent in kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports battlefield scenes: elephants are breaking chariots, while elite warriors are felling mounted riders. The line compresses the chaos of combat into two vivid actions—crushing and cutting down.