Shloka 55
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
गदाविमशथितैगत्रिर्मुसलैर्भिन्नमस्तका: । गजवाजिरथक्षुण्णा: शेरते सम नरा: क्षितौ,किन्हींके शरीर गदाकी चोटसे चूर-चूर हो गये थे, किन्हींके मस्तक मूसलोंकी मारसे फट गये थे तथा कितने ही मनुष्य घोड़े, हाथी एवं रथोंसे कुचल गये थे। ये सभी वहाँ पृथ्वीपर प्राणहीन होकर सो गये थे
gadāvimathitaiḥ gātraiḥ musalaiḥ bhinnamastakāḥ | gajavājirathakṣuṇṇāḥ śerate sma narāḥ kṣitau ||
Sañjaya said: Men lay there on the earth, lifeless—some with limbs shattered by the crushing blows of maces, some with heads split open by clubs, and many trampled and ground down beneath elephants, horses, and chariots. The scene reveals the stark moral cost of battle: bodies reduced to silence, and victory purchased through widespread destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality and ethical weight of war: human bodies are shattered by weapons and war-machines, reminding the listener that even ‘righteous’ conflict carries immense suffering and irreversible loss.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield aftermath: warriors lie dead on the ground—some smashed by maces, some with skulls split by clubs, and others crushed under elephants, horses, and chariots.