Mahabharata 7.32.28 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 28
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
तत्राच्छिद्यत शूरस्य सखड्गो बाहुरुद्यतः
tatrācchidyata śūrasya sa-khaḍgo bāhur udyataḥ | us yuddhe eka-śūravīrasya khaḍga-sahita ūrdhva-utthitā bhujā kartitā | dvitīyasya api dhanuḥ-bāṇa-aṅkuśa-sahitā bāhuḥ khaṇḍitā | tatra ekaḥ sainikaḥ anyam āhvayati sma, anyaś ca yuddhāt vimukhaḥ bhīto dhāvati sma ||
Sañjaya décrit le chaos du combat : là, le bras levé d’un guerrier—qui tenait encore son épée—fut tranché net. Le bras d’un autre fut aussi abattu, alors même qu’il portait arc, flèches et aiguillon. Dans ce tumulte, un soldat appelait un autre, tandis qu’un troisième, se détournant du combat, fuyait le champ de bataille—montrant comment la guerre brise les corps autant que les cœurs.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and psychological reality of war: even the brave are physically shattered, and fear can make fighters turn away. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty versus the tragic human cost—how violence tests resolve and exposes vulnerability.
Sanjaya reports vivid battlefield scenes: a warrior’s raised arm is cut off while holding a sword; another’s arm is severed while bearing bow, arrows, and a goad. Amid the confusion, one soldier calls to another, while someone else abandons the fight and runs away.
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