Shloka 56
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 20 — Yudhiṣṭhira–Duryodhana Encounter and Escalation of Arms
तथाश्वरथनागानां कृतं च कदनं महत् । “पुनः लौटे हुए पाण्डव-योद्धाओंने विशाल शत्रुसेनामें भगदड़ मचा दी थी; परंतु अश्वत्थामाके संकल्पके अनुसार कर्णने सुंजयोंका संहार कर डाला तथा अपनी सेनाके हाथी, घोड़े एवं रथोंका भारी विनाश कर दिया”
tathāśvarathanāgānāṁ kṛtaṁ ca kadanaṁ mahat |
Sañjaya dijo: De igual modo, se consumó una gran matanza entre caballos, carros y elefantes. Los guerreros Pāṇḍava que regresaban sembraron pánico y fuga en el vasto ejército enemigo; pero, conforme al propósito de Aśvatthāmā, Karṇa llevó a cabo una destrucción feroz, causando grave ruina a los elefantes, caballos y carros de la fuerza contraria: imagen del ímpetu de la guerra, donde la determinación y la represalia multiplican la devastación más allá de todo freno.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, once battle is fully engaged, determination and retaliation can magnify destruction across all arms of the army (elephants, horses, chariots). Ethically, it highlights the tragic momentum of war: even when one side causes a rout, counter-violence quickly follows, showing how difficult it is to contain harm once dharma is pursued through warfare.
Sañjaya reports that a major carnage occurred among the battlefield’s key military units—elephants, horses, and chariots. The broader context describes returning Pāṇḍava fighters causing panic in the enemy ranks, while Karṇa, aligned with Aśvatthāmā’s intent, responds with severe destruction, inflicting heavy losses in these divisions.