Shloka 48
ताड्यमानाः क्षितिं जम्मुर्मुक्तकेशा: शरार्दिता: । हाथी, घोड़े तथा रथपर आरूढ़ होकर युद्ध करनेवाले बहुत-से योद्धा अर्जुनके सहस्तरों बाणसमूहोंसे आहत एवं पीड़ित हो बाल खोले हुए पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े ।। केचिदार्तस्वनं चक्रु्विनेशुरपरे पुन:
sañjaya uvāca | tāḍyamānāḥ kṣitiṃ jagmur muktakeśāḥ śarārditāḥ | kecid ārta-svanaṃ cakruḥ vinaśur apare punaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Struck down and tormented by showers of arrows, many warriors fighting from elephants, horses, and chariots fell to the earth with their hair loosened in disarray. Some cried out in anguish, while others, again, perished—showing how Arjuna’s relentless missile-storm shattered not only bodily strength but also the will to fight in the brutal press of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: prowess and duty in battle (kṣatriya-dharma) produce inevitable suffering. It invites reflection on the cost of violence—how quickly life, pride, and resolve collapse under relentless force.
Sañjaya reports that many combatants, overwhelmed by Arjuna’s dense volleys of arrows, fall to the ground in disarray. Some cry out in pain; others die, indicating a decisive and devastating phase of the fighting.