Shloka 1
अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत कर्णपर्वमें संकुल-युद्धविषयक छब्बीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ २६ ॥। (दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका ई “लोक मिलाकर कुल ३८३ “लोक हैं) #+>2ी >> श््यु हि कक - शरभ आठ पैरोंका एक जानवर है
sañjaya uvāca | śvetāś ca atha mahārāja vyadhamat tāvakaṃ balam | yathā vāyuḥ samāsādya tūlarāśiṃ samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O great king, then Arjuna—riding the white-steeded chariot—was scattering your army in utter disarray, just as the wind, rushing upon a heap of cotton, blows it apart in every direction. The image underscores the overwhelming momentum of a righteous warrior’s prowess in battle and the fragility of forces driven by pride and attachment rather than clear discernment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how swiftly collective power can collapse when confronted by superior skill and resolve. Ethically, it suggests that mere numbers or possession ('your army') are unstable supports; disciplined prowess aligned with purpose can overturn them like wind dispersing cotton.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, on his white-horsed chariot, is breaking and scattering the Kaurava forces. The battlefield situation is one of panic and dispersal under Arjuna’s assault.