Shloka 35
Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)
रथाश्वनागाकुलदीपदीप्त॑ संरब्धयोध॑ं हतविद्रुताश्वम्
rathāśvanāgākuladīpadīptaṃ saṃrabdhayodhaṃ hatavidrutāśvam
Sañjaya said: “The battlefield blazed with the light of lamps amid a tumult of chariots, horses, and elephants; the warriors fought in fierce agitation, while many horses lay slain or fled in panic.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral cost and disorder inherent in war: even with disciplined warriors, battle devolves into confusion where life, strength, and control (symbolized by horses and chariots) are quickly lost. It implicitly contrasts the ideal of dharma with the grim realities of violence.
Sañjaya paints a vivid scene of the fighting: the field is crowded with chariots, horses, and elephants, illuminated by lamps/torches, while combatants rage on and many horses are killed or bolt—signaling broken formations and disabled chariots amid the chaos.