Shloka 383
अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
निध्नतः शात्रवान् भल््लैहस्त्यश्वंं चास्यतो महत् । अपने भल्लोंसे शत्रुसैनिकों तथा उनके हाथी-घोड़ेके महान् समुदायको मारते-गिराते हुए महामना पाण्डुकुमार अर्जुनके रथके पहियोंके लिये मार्ग नहीं मिलता था
sañjaya uvāca |
nidhnaṭaḥ śātravān bhallair hastyaśvaṃ cāsyato mahat |
apane bhallaiḥ śatrusainikāṃs tathā teṣāṃ hastighoḍānāṃ mahataḥ samūhaṃ mārayann api pātayann iva mahāmanāḥ pāṇḍukumāro 'rjunasya rathacakrayoḥ kṛte mārgaṃ na labhate sma |
Dijo Sañjaya: Mientras Arjuna, el magnánimo hijo de Pāṇḍu, abatía las filas enemigas con flechas agudas—derribando soldados y haciendo caer grandes masas de elefantes y caballos—tal era el apretón de la lucha y la densidad de cuerpos y bestias, que ni siquiera las ruedas de su carro hallaban un paso despejado para avanzar. La escena revela el terrible ímpetu de la guerra: aunque la destreza y la resolución no flaqueen, el propio campo de batalla se vuelve un obstáculo físico y moral, ahogado por las consecuencias de la violencia.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim reality that even righteous resolve and martial excellence operate within the crushing consequences of war: the battlefield becomes physically clogged by destruction, reminding the listener that violence—though undertaken as kṣatriya duty—creates obstacles and suffering that cannot be ignored.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna cutting down enemy troops and large formations of elephants and horses with sharp arrows. The fighting is so dense, and the fallen so numerous, that Arjuna’s chariot wheels cannot find a clear route through the battlefield.