Shloka 4
Adhyāya 16: Saṃśaptaka-vrata and the Diversion of Arjuna (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६)
तेनारदिता महाराज रथिन: सादिनस्तथा । निपेतुरुरव्या सहसा वातभग्ना इव द्रुमा:,राजन! जैसे प्रचण्ड आँधीसे सहसा बड़े-बड़े वृक्ष टूटकर गिर जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वृषसेनके द्वारा पीड़ित हुए रथी और अन्य योद्धागण सहसा धरतीपर गिरने लगे
tenārditā mahārāja rathinaḥ sādinastathā | nipetur urvyā sahasā vātabhagnā iva drumāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O great king, struck down by Vṛṣasena, the chariot-warriors and likewise the horsemen suddenly fell upon the earth—like trees shattered and toppled at once by a violent wind. The image underscores the irresistible momentum of battle, where prowess can fell many in an instant, and where the king must weigh the human cost that follows from the chosen course of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the suddenness and scale of destruction in war: even mighty warriors can fall instantly when overpowered. Implicitly it presses the ethical burden of kingship—leaders must recognize that strategic choices unleash irreversible human loss.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Vṛṣasena is striking down opposing fighters; chariot-warriors and horsemen collapse to the ground in large numbers, compared to trees felled by a fierce wind.