Shloka 156
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
तेन तेनाभ्यधावन्त विसृजन्तश्न भारत । भारत! सैकड़ों वीर धनुष और तरकस लिये सुवर्णमय आभूषणोंसे विभूषित हो कितने ही विपक्षी वीरोंका विश्वस्त भावसे विनाश करके स्वयं भी शत्रुओंके प्रहारसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो रहे थे और स्वयं भी अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका प्रहार करते हुए विभिन्न मार्गोसे इधर-उधर भाग- दौड़ कर रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | tena tenābhyadhāvanta visṛjantaś ca bhārata |
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, they rushed again and again in that manner, discharging their weapons. Many warriors—bearing bows and quivers and adorned with golden ornaments—destroyed opposing heroes with confident resolve; yet they themselves were grievously afflicted by the enemy’s blows, and, striking back with weapons, ran and surged in different directions amid the chaos of battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the paradox of war: even victorious, confident warriors are simultaneously vulnerable to suffering. It highlights the kṣatriya arena where courage and destruction coexist with inevitable pain, reminding the listener that violence rebounds upon its agents and that battlefield success does not exempt one from affliction.
Sañjaya describes the ongoing melee at Kurukṣetra: warriors repeatedly charge, release weapons, and strike down opponents, while also being struck and wounded. The scene emphasizes rapid movement in many directions, the press of combat, and the mutual injury characteristic of a large-scale battle.