Shloka 1
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वमें दुर्योधनका पलायनविषयक पचीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ २५ ॥। अपन ह< बछ। है २ >> षड्विशो<5ध्याय: भीमसेनके द्वारा धृतराष्ट्रके ग्यारह पुत्रोंका और बहुत-सी चतुरंगिणी सेनाका वध संजय उवाच गजानीके हते तस्मिन् पाण्डुपुत्रेण भारत । वध्यमाने बले चैव भीमसेनेन संयुगे
sañjaya uvāca |
gajānīke hate tasmin pāṇḍuputreṇa bhārata |
vadhyamāne bale caiva bhīmasenena saṁyuge ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, when Gajānika had been slain by the son of Pāṇḍu, and when Bhīmasena in the thick of battle was also cutting down the forces, the slaughter on the field intensified.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inexorable escalation of war once key warriors fall: victory-driven action rapidly multiplies suffering. It implicitly highlights the ethical gravity of kṣatriya warfare—heroic prowess brings decisive outcomes, yet also deepens collective loss.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Gajānika has been killed by a Pāṇḍava, and that Bhīmasena is simultaneously slaughtering the opposing forces in the battle, indicating a turning point marked by heavy casualties.