Shloka 30
भीमसेनस्य गदायुद्ध-प्रभावः
The Battlefield Impact of Bhīmasena’s Mace Combat
परश्वधानां तीक्ष्णानां तोमराणां च भारत । वर्मणां चापविद्धानां काज्चनानां च भूमिप
sañjaya uvāca |
paraśvadhānāṃ tīkṣṇānāṃ tomarāṇāṃ ca bhārata |
varmaṇāṃ cāpaviddhānāṃ kāñcanānāṃ ca bhūmipa ||
Sanjaya said: O Bharata, O king, there were seen upon that battlefield heaps of sharp battle-axes and javelins, and also golden coats of mail that had been cast off and hurled down—scattered amid the ruin of war. The scene proclaimed the terrible cost of kṣatriya conflict, where splendid arms and ornaments alike become mere debris when dharma is pursued through violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: even precious, golden armour and formidable weapons end up discarded on the ground. It implicitly contrasts worldly splendour with the impermanence and suffering produced by conflict, inviting reflection on the ethical weight of kṣatriya warfare.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra what is visible on the battlefield: heaps of sharp axes and javelins, along with golden armours that have been thrown down, indicating intense fighting and the scattering of arms and equipment amid the carnage.