Mahabharata 7.161.39 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 161, Shloka 39
अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
तत्र तत्राभ्यवेक्षाम संघान् कर्णेन ताडितान् । कर्णके बाणोंकी चोट खाकर मरनेवाले घोड़ों, हाथियों और रथियोंके झुंड-के-झुंड हमने वहाँ देखे थे ।। शिरोभि: पतितै राजन् बाहुभिश्न समन्ततः
tatra tatrābhyavekṣāma saṅghān karṇena tāḍitān | karṇake bāṇānāṃ coṭaṃ khātvā marṇavāle ghoḍe, hāthī aur rathiyoṃ ke jhuṇḍa-ke-jhuṇḍa hamne vahāṃ dekhe the || śirobhiḥ patitai rājān bāhubhiś ca samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ici et là, nous vîmes des masses entières de guerriers frappés par Karṇa. En ce lieu, nous vîmes, par grands amas, des chevaux, des éléphants et des combattants de char mourir sous les coups des flèches de Karṇa—tandis que tout autour, ô Roi, le sol était jonché de têtes tombées et de bras tranchés.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical weight of war: even when performed under kṣatriya-duty, violence yields widespread suffering and bodily destruction, reminding the listener of impermanence and the heavy consequences of martial prowess.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he ‘sees’ on the battlefield: Karna’s arrows have devastated formations, leaving heaps of dying horses, elephants, and chariot-fighters, with severed heads and arms scattered all around.
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