Shloka 39
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 20 — Yudhiṣṭhira–Duryodhana Encounter and Escalation of Arms
मृदितानीव पद्मानि प्रम्लाना इव च स्रज:
mṛditānīva padmāni pramlānā iva ca srajaḥ
Sañjaya said: “They appeared like lotus-flowers that have been crushed, and like garlands that have withered—an image of beauty and vitality ruined by the harsh force of battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of life and splendor: in war, what is naturally beautiful and flourishing becomes quickly ruined. It evokes ethical reflection on the cost of violence and the impermanence of worldly forms.
Sañjaya is describing the aftermath or condition of those affected in the fighting, using vivid similes—crushed lotuses and withered garlands—to convey exhaustion, injury, and the loss of vitality caused by the battle.