हयाभ्यां च गजाभ्यां च रथाभ्यां च पदातिभि:
hayābhyāṁ ca gajābhyāṁ ca rathābhyāṁ ca padātibhiḥ
Dengan kuda dan gajah, dengan kereta perang, dan dengan prajurit berjalan kaki.
संजय उवाच
The line underscores the totality and intensity of armed conflict—war draws in every arm of the host (cavalry, elephants, chariots, infantry). Ethically, it frames the gravity of kṣatriya warfare: decisions and consequences unfold amid vast, organized violence affecting all ranks.
Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene in Drona Parva, indicating that the action involves all major military units—horses, elephants, chariots, and foot-soldiers—suggesting a dense, large-scale engagement.