Shloka 143
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
शिर: प्रध्वंसयामास वक्षस्याक्रम्प कुज्जर: । आर्य! उस युद्धमें कितने मनुष्य बाणोंसे विदीर्ण होकर रथसे नीचे गिर जाते थे। कितने ही योद्धा कवचशून्य हो धरतीपर गिर पड़ते थे और सहसा कोई हाथी उनकी छातीपर पैर रखकर उनके मस्तकको भी कुचल देता था
śiraḥ pradhvaṃsayāmāsa vakṣasy ākramya kuñjaraḥ |
Sañjaya said: In that battle, many men—pierced through by arrows—fell down from their chariots. Many warriors, stripped of their armour, collapsed upon the earth; and then, in an instant, some elephant would plant its foot upon their chest and crush even their head. The scene underscores the ruthless momentum of war, where the loss of protection and composure leads swiftly from injury to annihilation, and where brute force overwhelms the already fallen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the brutal, indiscriminate nature of war: once a warrior is wounded and deprived of protection, destruction can come swiftly and mercilessly. Ethically, it serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the fragility of life amid kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield where warriors, pierced by arrows, fall from their chariots; others fall without armour, and elephants then trample their chests and crush their heads, intensifying the horror and chaos of the fighting.