Shloka 7463
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
संयुक्ता: समदृश्यन्त पत्तयश्चापि पत्तिभि: । घोड़ोंसे घोड़े, हाथियोंसे हाथी, रथियोंसे रथी और पैदलोंसे पैदल जूझते दिखायी दे रहे थे
saṁyuktāḥ samadṛśyanta pattayaś cāpi pattibhiḥ |
Sañjaya said: The foot-soldiers were seen locked in close combat with other foot-soldiers. In the same way across the field, like met like—horse with horse, elephant with elephant, chariot-warrior with chariot-warrior—revealing the grim order of battle, where each class of fighter met its counterpart in relentless, face-to-face struggle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark, organized reality of war: combatants meet their counterparts in direct confrontation. Ethically, it highlights the kṣatriya battlefield context where duty and violence coexist, while Sañjaya’s neutral reporting invites reflection on the cost and inevitability of such ordered slaughter.
Sañjaya describes the battle scene: infantry are visibly engaged with infantry, and by extension the battlefield shows matched engagements—horse against horse, elephant against elephant, chariot-warrior against chariot-warrior—indicating intense, close-quarters fighting.