Shloka 71
निर्मनुष्यान् रथान् राजन् गजानश्चांश्व संयुगे । चकार समरे भीष्म: सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वर:
sañjaya uvāca | nirmanuṣyān rathān rājan gajān aśvāṃś ca saṃyuge | cakāra samare bhīṣmaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Oh Rey, en el apretón de la batalla Bhīṣma—el primero entre todos los que empuñan armas—dominó de tal modo el combate que dejó carros, elefantes y caballos sin aurigas ni jinetes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the formidable power of a master warrior and, by implication, the ethical gravity of war: skill in arms can swiftly dismantle an opposing force, but it does so by separating men from their mounts and vehicles—making the human cost unmistakable.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, excelling among all armed fighters, fought so effectively that he rendered enemy chariots, elephants, and horses ‘without men’—i.e., their riders, drivers, or crews were struck down or removed in the battle.