Shloka 536
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
रथैक्षाधिरथेर्मार्गे समास्तीर्यत मेदिनी । सूतपुत्र कर्णके रथके मार्गमें सब ओर गिरते हुए हाथियों, घोड़ों, मनुष्यों और रथोंके द्वारा वहाँ सारी पृथ्वी पट गयी थी
rathaiḥ kṣādhirather mārge samāstīryata medinī |
Sañjaya said: On the path of the great chariot-warriors, the earth was covered everywhere—strewn with fallen elephants, horses, men, and chariots—so that the roadway became a carpet of the slain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: even when fought under kṣatriya-dharma, battle produces overwhelming destruction, reminding the listener of the human cost and the fragility of worldly power.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield route of the foremost chariot-warriors as completely covered with fallen beings and wrecked vehicles—elephants, horses, men, and chariots—conveying the intensity of the fighting in Karṇa Parva.