Shloka 33
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
तदभ्रमिव वातेन क्षिप्पमाणं समन्ततः । अभज्यत महाराज पाण्डूनां सुमहद् बलम्,महाराज! जैसे वायुके वेगसे मेघोंका दल सब ओरसे छिल्न-भिन्न हो जाता है, उसी प्रकार इस आक्रमणसे पाण्डवोंकी विशाल सेनाका व्यूह भंग हो गया
tad abhram iva vātena kṣippamāṇaṃ samantataḥ | abhajyata mahārāja pāṇḍūnāṃ sumahad balam ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, just as a mass of clouds, driven and battered by the force of the wind, is torn apart on every side, so too, under this assault, the vast army of the Pāṇḍavas had its battle-formation shattered.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of even a mighty force when struck by overwhelming momentum: in war, strength is not only numbers but cohesion and formation; once unity is disrupted, power disperses like clouds torn by wind.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a fierce assault has caused the Pāṇḍavas’ large army to lose its organized battle-array; he illustrates the scene with a vivid simile of clouds scattered and shredded by strong wind.