Mahabharata 9.23.74 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 23, Shloka 74
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
स्फुरतां प्रतिपिष्टानामश्वानां शीघ्रगामिनाम् । स्तनतां च मनुष्याणां सन्नद्धानां विशाम्पते
sañjaya uvāca | sphuratāṃ pratipiṣṭānām aśvānāṃ śīghragāminām | stanatāṃ ca manuṣyāṇāṃ sannaddhānāṃ viśāmpate |
संजय बोले—हे प्रजापालक नरेश! आपकी खोटी सलाह के अनुसार बहुत-से शीघ्रगामी अश्व गिरकर छटपटा रहे थे; कितने ही कुचले गए थे। और बहुत-से कवचधारी मनुष्य गर्जना करते हुए शत्रुओं के मर्म विदीर्ण कर रहे थे।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the brutal, impersonal momentum of war: even swift horses are crushed, and armed men roar as they strike at vital points. Ethically, it highlights how counsel and decisions in leadership can precipitate widespread suffering once battle is unleashed.
Sanjaya describes the battlefield to the king: fallen horses still twitch in pain, while armoured fighters shout and press the attack, and the terrifying noise of spears and lances reverberates throughout the combat zone.
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