Shloka 45
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
ते क्षत्रिया: क्षतैगत्रिहत भूयिष्ठवाहना: । शरै: सम्पीड्यमानास्तु नातिव्यक्तमथाब्रुवन्,वहाँ जो क्षत्रिय युद्ध कर रहे थे, उनके अधिकांश वाहन नष्ट हो गये थे। शरीर क्षत- विक्षत हो रहे थे। वे बाणोंसे पीड़ित होकर कुछ अस्पष्ट वाणीमें बोले--“हमलोग जिससे घिरे हैं, इस सारी सेनाको मार डालें। ये सारे पाण्डव गजसेनाका संहार करके हमारे समीप चले आ रहे हैं'
te kṣatriyāḥ kṣatair gātrair hata-bhūyiṣṭha-vāhanāḥ | śaraiḥ sampīḍyamānās tu nātivyaktam athābruvan |
Sañjaya said: Those kṣatriyas— their limbs torn and wounded, and with most of their mounts and vehicles destroyed—were being hard-pressed by arrows. In voices not clearly articulated, they spoke: “Let us cut down this entire force that has surrounded us. All the Pāṇḍavas, having slaughtered the elephant-corps, are now advancing close upon us.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological strain of war: even trained kṣatriya warriors, bound to fight, become physically shattered and mentally pressured, leading to urgent, reactive speech. It implicitly shows how violence compresses judgment and speech, and how battlefield dharma often manifests as desperate tactical resolve rather than calm deliberation.
Sañjaya reports that a group of kṣatriya fighters, badly wounded and having lost most of their mounts/vehicles, are being overwhelmed by enemy arrows. Speaking indistinctly due to pain and pressure, they urge one another to kill the surrounding force, noting that the Pāṇḍavas—after destroying the elephant contingent—are closing in on them.