Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 33
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
तदभ्रमिव वातेन क्षिप्पमाणं समन्ततः । अभज्यत महाराज पाण्डूनां सुमहद् बलम्
tad abhram iva vātena kṣippamāṇaṃ samantataḥ | abhajyata mahārāja pāṇḍūnāṃ sumahad balam ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô Roi, de même qu’une masse de nuages, chassée et battue par la violence du vent, se déchire de toutes parts, ainsi, sous cet assaut, la vaste armée des Pāṇḍava vit sa formation de combat brisée.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of even a mighty force when struck by overwhelming momentum: in war, strength is not only numbers but cohesion and formation; once unity is disrupted, power disperses like clouds torn by wind.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a fierce assault has caused the Pāṇḍavas’ large army to lose its organized battle-array; he illustrates the scene with a vivid simile of clouds scattered and shredded by strong wind.