Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 34
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
तत्र तत्र व्यदृश्यन्त योक्त्रै: श्लिष्टा: सम वाजिन:
tatra tatra vyadṛśyanta yoktraiḥ śliṣṭāḥ sama-vājinaḥ
Sañjaya said: Here and there, horses were seen—still held fast by their reins—standing in tense, even ranks amid the turmoil of battle. The image underscores how, in war, disciplined control and readiness persist even as destruction spreads around them.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the persistence of discipline and control (reins held tight, horses aligned) even within the moral and physical chaos of war—suggesting that preparedness and restraint remain crucial when violence threatens to overwhelm order.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield scene: in multiple places, horses are visible, still secured by their reins and standing in orderly formation, indicating organized chariot forces and continued readiness amid ongoing combat.
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