Shloka 24
भीमसेनस्य गदायुद्ध-प्रभावः
The Battlefield Impact of Bhīmasena’s Mace Combat
विरथा रथिनकश्षान्ये धावमाना: समन्तत: । तत्र तत्रैव दृश्यन्ते सायुधा: साड्दैर्भुजै:,अन्यान्य बहुत-से रथी रथहीन होकर अंगदभूषित भुजाओंमें आयुध धारण किये जहाँ- तहाँ चारों ओर दौड़ते देखे जाते थे
virathā rathinaḥ cānye dhāvamānāḥ samantataḥ | tatra tatraiva dṛśyante sāyudhāḥ sāṅgadair bhujaiḥ ||
Sanjaya said: And other warriors too, having lost their chariots, were seen running in every direction. Here and there they appeared with weapons in hand, their arms adorned with armlets—an image of the battlefield’s disorder, where valor persists even as the supports of rank and equipment collapse.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly the outer supports of status—chariots, formations, and command—can vanish in war, yet personal resolve and responsibility remain. It implicitly contrasts reliance on equipment and rank with the inner steadiness expected of a warrior facing sudden reversals.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that many fighters have been separated from their chariots and are now running about on foot across the battlefield, still armed and identifiable by their armlets—signaling confusion and intense pressure in the fighting.