Shloka 3
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 94: Sātyaki–Sudarśana Yuddha (सात्यकि–सुदर्शन युद्ध)
अश्वो विद्धो रथश्छिन्न: सारोह: पातितो गज: । छत्राणि चापविद्धानि रथाश्षक्रैविना कृता:,उन्होंने घोड़ोंको घायल कर दिया, रथके टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर डाले, गजारोहियोंसहित हाथीको मार गिराया, छत्र इधर-उधर बिखेर दिये तथा रथोंको पहियोंसे सूना कर दिया
aśvo viddho rathaś chinnaḥ sārohaḥ pātito gajaḥ | chatrāṇi cāpaviddhāni rathāś cakra-vihīnāḥ kṛtāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Horses were struck down, chariots were shattered, and elephants—along with their riders—were felled. Umbrellas were knocked away and scattered, and the chariots were left wheel-less, rendered useless on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark reality of warfare: status-symbols and protections collapse under violence, and victory often comes through disabling the enemy’s mobility and cohesion. It implicitly contrasts royal honor (the parasol) with the battlefield’s leveling force, reminding readers of the fragility of worldly power.
Sañjaya describes intense fighting in which combatants wound horses, break chariots, topple elephants along with their riders, scatter parasols, and strip chariots of their wheels—depicting a scene of systematic destruction of the opposing army’s vehicles and formations.