Shloka 15
सादिनश्चाश्वपृष्ठेभ्यो भूमौ चापि पदातिन: । गदया व्यधमत् सर्वान् वातो वृक्षानिवौजसा
sādinaścāśvapṛṣṭhebhyo bhūmau cāpi padātinaḥ | gadayā vyadhamat sarvān vāto vṛkṣānivaujasā ||
Sañjaya said: With his mace he struck down them all—both the horsemen from their mounts and the foot-soldiers on the ground—like a powerful wind uprooting trees. The verse underscores the overwhelming, impersonal force of battlefield violence, where strength and momentum can scatter ranks regardless of station, reminding the listener of war’s swift, leveling destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war’s force can become indiscriminate and leveling: mounted and unmounted alike are felled when overwhelming power is unleashed. Ethically, it invites reflection on the destructive momentum of battle and the fragility of human position amid violence.
Sañjaya describes a warrior using a mace to smash through enemy ranks, knocking cavalry from their horses and striking down infantry on the ground, compared to a strong wind that uproots trees.