Shloka 31
शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
अक्षौहिणीपतीन् दृष्टवा भीमसेननिपातितान् | मोहाद् वा यदि वा लोभान्नैवाशाम्यत वैशसम्,'भीमसेनके द्वारा धराशायी किये गये अक्षौहिणी-पतियोंको देखकर भी मोहवश अथवा लोभके कारण युद्ध बंद न हो सका
akṣauhiṇī-patīn dṛṣṭvā bhīmasena-nipātitān | mohād vā yadi vā lobhān naivāśāmyata vaiśasam ||
Sanjaya said: “Even after seeing the commanders of entire armies felled by Bhimasena, the slaughter did not subside—whether from delusion or from greed.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that unchecked moha (delusion) and lobha (greed) can overpower moral restraint: even the visible devastation of war—leaders and whole forces being destroyed—may not stop violence once the mind is ethically unmoored.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that despite Bhīma’s killing of major army-leaders, the fighting did not calm down; the carnage continued, driven by delusion or greed rather than sober judgment.