Shloka 20
अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः
Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle
चण्डवातप्रभग्नास्तु पर्वताग्रान्महीरुहा: । उन बाणोंसे घायल होकर आपके पुत्र अपने प्राणोंसे हाथ धो बैठे और पर्वतशिखरसे प्रचण्ड वायुद्वारा उखाड़े हुए वृक्षोंक समान तेजोहीन होकर रथोंसे नीचे गिर पड़े || १९३६ || नाराचैर्दशभिर्भीमस्तान् निहत्य तवात्मजान्
caṇḍavātaprabhaṅgnās tu parvatāgrān mahīruhāḥ | nārācair daśabhir bhīmas tān nihatya tavātmajān ||
Sañjaya berkata: Seperti pohon-pohon raksasa yang tercabut dari puncak gunung oleh angin ribut, demikianlah putra-putramu—tertembus anak panah, kehilangan sinar dan nyawa—jatuh dari kereta-kereta perang. Lalu Bhīma, dengan sepuluh anak panah nārāca, menewaskan putra-putramu itu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inexorable consequences of war: once conflict escalates, even the powerful fall suddenly, like uprooted trees. Ethically, it points to how adharma-fueled hostility culminates in irreversible loss, reminding the listener (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) that attachment and pride cannot shield one from the results of destructive choices.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma has struck down and killed Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons using ten nārāca arrows. The slain warriors, drained of vitality and splendor, tumble from their chariots, compared to trees ripped from mountain summits by a fierce wind.