Shloka 22
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
नरास्तु बहवस्तत्र समाजम्मु: परस्परम् । गदाभिमर्मुसलैश्वैव नानाशस्त्रैश्व संयुगे,उस युद्धस्थलमें बहुसंख्यक पैदल मनुष्य गदा और मुसल आदि नाना प्रकारके अस्त्रोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेपर आक्रमण करते थे
sañjaya uvāca |
narās tu bahavas tatra samājam muḥ parasparam |
gadābhimar-muṣalaiś caiva nānāśastraiś ca saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya said: There, in that press of battle, many foot-soldiers closed in upon one another and struck each other down—some with maces, some with clubs, and others with weapons of many kinds. The scene shows war reduced to brutal hand-to-hand violence, where the mass of ordinary fighters bear the immediate cost of the leaders’ ambitions.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: once battle is joined, violence escalates into close combat where countless ordinary soldiers suffer. It implicitly warns that decisions made by rulers and commanders culminate in widespread, indiscriminate harm on the ground.
Sanjaya describes a dense melee on the battlefield: numerous infantrymen rush together and attack one another with maces, clubs, and many other weapons, indicating chaotic hand-to-hand fighting.