Shloka 92
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
तत्र केचिन्नरा भीता व्यलीयन्त महीतले,तथैव तान् निपतितानपिंषन् गजवाजिन: । कितने ही योद्धा भयभीत हो पृथ्वीपर छिपे पड़े थे। उन्हें उसी अवस्थामें भागते हुए घोड़ों और हाथियोंने अपने पैरोंसे कुचल दिया
tatra kecin narā bhītā vyalīyanta mahītale | tathaiva tān nipatitān apiṁṣan gajavājinaḥ ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Allí, algunos hombres, aterrados, se tendieron en el suelo. Pero aun los que habían caído así fueron pisoteados por los elefantes y los caballos que corrían desbocados.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the indiscriminate nature of battlefield destruction: once violence is unleashed, even the frightened and fallen are not spared. Ethically, it points to the collapse of restraint and compassion in war, where the vulnerable are crushed by forces set in motion.
Sañjaya describes a scene of panic: some warriors, terrified, lie flat or hide on the ground, but the chaos of moving elephants and horses continues, and they are trampled underfoot despite being already down.