Shloka 51
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
प्रजानाथ! प्रबल भार्गवास्त्रसे समरांगणमें पीड़ित होनेवाले पांचालोंका महान् हाहाकार सब ओर गूँजने लगा ।। निपतद्धिर्गजै राजन्नश्वैश्षञापि सहस्रश: | रथैश्नापि नरव्याप्र नरैश्नैव समन्तत:
prajānātha! prabala-bhārgavāstrase samarāṅgaṇe pīḍita-honevāle pāñcālānāṃ mahān hāhākāraḥ sarva-ora gūñjane lagā || nipatadbhiḥ gajaiḥ rājann aśvaiś ca api sahasraśaḥ | rathaiś ca api nara-vyāghra naraiḥ eva samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O lord of men, as the mighty Bhārgava weapon raged on the battlefield, the Pañcālas—tormented by its force—raised a great, all-pervading cry that echoed in every direction. O king, elephants and horses fell by the thousands; chariots too were shattered, and men—O tiger among men—were strewn everywhere on all sides. The verse underscores the moral weight of warfare: when irresistible weapons are unleashed, the suffering of entire peoples overwhelms distinctions of rank and valor.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of unleashing overwhelming weapons in war: once such force is set loose, mass suffering follows, and the battlefield becomes a scene of indiscriminate ruin. It invites reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the human cost that accompanies martial prowess.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a powerful Bhārgava weapon is devastating the Pañcāla forces. Their cries fill the directions as elephants, horses, chariots, and soldiers collapse in vast numbers across the battlefield.