Shloka 31
भीमसेनस्य गदायुद्ध-प्रभावः
The Battlefield Impact of Bhīmasena’s Mace Combat
आर्य! भरतनन्दन! भूपाल! उस रणभूमिमें गिरे हुए उद्दधीप्त परिघ
sañjaya uvāca — ārya! bharatanandana! bhūpāla! tasmin raṇabhūmau patitāni uddīptaparigha-mudgara-prāsa-bhindipāla-khaḍga-paraśu-tīkṣṇa-tomara-svarṇamaya-kavaca-dhvaja-ḍhāla-svarṇadaṇḍa-vibhūṣita-chattra-vyajana-cābuka-yuga-koḍa-aṅkuśāḥ śastrāṇi ca bahudhā rāśi-rāśi vikirṇāni dṛśyante sma.
Sanjaya said: “O noble one, O descendant of Bharata, O king! On that battlefield there were heaps upon heaps of fallen weapons and royal gear—blazing iron clubs, maces, spears, bhindipālas, swords, axes, sharp tomaras, golden cuirasses, banners, shields, parasols adorned with gold staffs, fans, whips, yokes, lashes, and goads—scattered everywhere.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the aftermath of battle: instruments of power and royal splendor—weapons, armor, banners, parasols—lie fallen and scattered. It implicitly points to the impermanence of worldly glory and the heavy cost of kṣatriya warfare, inviting reflection on dharma amid violence.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he ‘sees’ on the battlefield: heaps of dropped weapons and royal equipment strewn across the ground, conveying the scale and intensity of the fighting.