Shloka 32
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
भग्नचक्राक्षनीडाश्ष निपातितमहा ध्वजा: । हताश्वाः पृथिवीं जग्मुस्तत्र तत्र महारथा:,कितने ही महारथियोंके रथोंके पहिये, धुरे और भीतरकी बैठकें टूट-फूटकर नष्ट हो गयीं, बड़ी-बड़ी ध्वजाएँ खण्डित होकर गिर गयीं, घोड़े मार दिये गये और वे महारथी स्वयं भी मारे जाकर धरतीपर जहाँ-तहाँ गिर पड़े
sañjaya uvāca | bhagnacakrākṣanīḍāś ca nipātita-mahādhvajāḥ | hatāśvāḥ pṛthivīṃ jagmus tatra tatra mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Many great warriors had their chariot-wheels, axles, and seats shattered; their lofty standards were cut down and fell. Their horses were slain, and those mahārathas themselves, struck down in battle, collapsed upon the earth in scattered places. The scene underscores the ruthless momentum of war, where pride of arms and outward emblems of power are swiftly reduced to ruin, reminding the listener of the grave moral cost of violence even among the mighty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of martial glory: chariots, banners, and even renowned warriors are quickly reduced to ruin. Ethically, it points to the heavy cost of war and the impermanence of external power, urging reflection on the consequences of violence even when performed under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield aftermath: chariots are wrecked (wheels and axles broken), standards have fallen, horses are killed, and the great warriors lie scattered on the ground—an image of widespread devastation during the Kurukṣetra war.