Shloka 15
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
सादिनश्चाश्वपृष्ठेभ्यो भूमौ चापि पदातिन: । गदया व्यधमत् सर्वान् वातो वृक्षानिवौजसा
sādinaścāśvapṛṣṭhebhyo bhūmau cāpi padātinaḥ | gadayā vyadhamat sarvān vāto vṛkṣānivaujasā ||
Sañjaya dit : De sa massue il les frappa tous—les cavaliers, les jetant bas de leurs montures, et les fantassins à terre—comme un vent violent déracine les arbres. Le vers souligne la force écrasante et impersonnelle de la violence guerrière : puissance et élan peuvent disperser les rangs sans égard au rang, rappelant la destruction rapide et égalisatrice de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war’s force can become indiscriminate and leveling: mounted and unmounted alike are felled when overwhelming power is unleashed. Ethically, it invites reflection on the destructive momentum of battle and the fragility of human position amid violence.
Sañjaya describes a warrior using a mace to smash through enemy ranks, knocking cavalry from their horses and striking down infantry on the ground, compared to a strong wind that uproots trees.