Shloka 59
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
सम्प्रकीर्णनन्त्रागात्राश्व पेतुरुव्या महाबला: । तलवारके वेगसे उन सबमें भगदड़ मच गयी। कितनोंकी भुजाएँ और जाँघें कट गयीं। बहुतोंके वक्ष:स्थल विदीर्ण हो गये और कितनोंके शरीरोंसे आँतें बाहर निकल आयीं। इस प्रकार वे महाबली दैत्य मरकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े ।।
apare dānavā bhagnāḥ khaḍgapātāvapīḍitāḥ | samprakīrṇā nantrāgātrāś ca petur urvyā mahābalāḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Other Dānavas, shattered and tormented by the blows of swords, fell upon the earth—mighty warriors strewn about with limbs and entrails scattered. Thus, in the frenzy of battle, many were cut down and collapsed lifeless to the ground.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of embodied power: even the mighty fall when violence dominates. It implicitly warns that unchecked conflict leads to destruction and suffering, reinforcing the Shanti Parva’s broader movement from war toward reflection on restraint and dharma.
Bhishma describes a battlefield scene where other Dānavas are routed and grievously wounded by sword-strokes; their bodies fall to the earth, scattered and torn, emphasizing the chaos and brutality of combat.