Shloka 17
Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ
Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa
सानुकर्षपताकैश्र द्विपाश्वरथभूषणै: । स्यन्दनैरपविद्धैश्व भग्नचक्राक्षकूबरै:
sānukarṣapatākaiś ca dvipāśvarathabhūṣaṇaiḥ | syandanair apaviddhaiś ca bhagnacakrākṣakūbaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «On voyait des chars de guerre jetés à terre—les uns portant encore leurs étendards et les traces du harnachement ; les autres ornés de garde-fous latéraux et d’atours de combat—mais désormais abandonnés, les roues, les essieux et les timons brisés. Ainsi le champ révélait la ruine de l’orgueil guerrier et la promptitude avec laquelle la violence défait toute grandeur.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of worldly power and martial splendor: even richly equipped chariots with banners and fittings are quickly reduced to wreckage. It implicitly cautions against pride in force and highlights the inevitable ruin that accompanies violent conflict.
Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene: numerous war-chariots have been abandoned and lie damaged, their structural parts—wheels, axles, and poles—broken, indicating intense fighting and widespread destruction.