Shloka 3
अध्याय ९१ — शैनेयस्य गजानीकभेदनं जलसंधवधश्च
Chapter 91: Sātyaki breaks the elephant array and slays Jalasaṃdha
स सम्प्रहारस्तुमुल: सम्प्रवृत्त: सुदारुण: । एकस्य च बहूनां च रथनागनरक्षय:,उस समय एक वीरका बहुत-से योद्धाओंके साथ बड़ा भयंकर घमासान युद्ध छिड़ गया, जो रथों, हाथियों और मनुष्योंका संहार करनेवाला था
sa samprahāras tumulaḥ sampravṛttaḥ sudāruṇaḥ | ekasya ca bahūnāṃ ca ratha-nāga-nara-kṣayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: A tumultuous and exceedingly dreadful clash then broke out—one hero against many—bringing destruction to chariots, elephants, and men. The scene underscores how, once battle is unleashed, prowess and numbers alike are swallowed by indiscriminate ruin, and the moral weight of war falls upon all who sustain it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim moral reality of war: once combat erupts, it becomes a force of indiscriminate destruction—overwhelming both the solitary hero and the multitude—consuming not only fighters but the very instruments of war (chariots, elephants).
Sañjaya describes a fierce melee that has begun, characterized as one warrior facing many, and emphasizes the scale of devastation across chariots, elephants, and men.