Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 50 — Arjuna’s foreboding and lament for Abhimanyu; Kṛṣṇa’s dharma-consolation
रथाश्ववृन्दै: सह सादिभिष॑तै: प्रविद्धभाण्डा भरणै: पृथग्विधै: । निरस्तजिह्दादशनान्त्रलोचनै- र्धरा बभौ घोरविरूपदर्शना,रथों और अश्वोंके समूह सवारोंके साथ नष्ट हो गये थे। भिन्न-भिन्न प्रकारके भाण्ड और आभूषण छित्न-भिन्न होकर पड़े थे। मनुष्यों और पशुओंकी जिह्ठा, दाँत, आँत और आँखें बाहर निकल आयी थीं। इन सबसे वहाँकी भूमि अत्यन्त घोर और विकराल दिखायी देती थी
rathāśvavṛndaiḥ saha sādibhiṣataiḥ praviddhabhāṇḍā bharaṇaiḥ pṛthagvidhaiḥ | nirastajihvādasanāntralocanair dharā babhau ghoravirūpadarśanā ||
Sañjaya said: The ground appeared terrifying and grotesque to behold—strewn with shattered chariots and clusters of horses along with their riders, scattered equipment and various ornaments flung apart, and with tongues, teeth, entrails, and eyes of men and beasts cast out. Thus the battlefield itself became a grim testimony to the ruin that war brings.
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the ethical gravity of war by presenting its physical aftermath without embellishment: even when fought under claims of duty, conflict produces indiscriminate ruin. The stark imagery functions as a moral mirror, pressing the listener to weigh dharma against the catastrophic cost of violence.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield after intense fighting: chariots and horses lie destroyed with their riders, weapons and ornaments are scattered, and the ground is littered with horrific remains. The scene conveys the scale of slaughter and the terror of the ongoing Kurukṣetra war.