Shloka 8
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
वध्यमानेषु तेष्वाजौ गान्धारेषु समन््तत:
vadhyamāneṣu teṣv ājau gāndhāreṣu samantataḥ
Vaiśampāyana said: As those Gandhāra warriors were being cut down in the battle, on every side, the field became a scene of relentless slaughter—an image of war’s harsh momentum, where the duty of combat unfolds amid widespread suffering.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line underscores the grim reality of warfare: once battle is joined, violence spreads in all directions, testing the boundaries of dharma and highlighting the human cost that accompanies martial duty.
Vaiśampāyana describes a battle scene in which the Gandhāra fighters are being slain throughout the field, indicating a decisive and widespread rout or heavy casualties on all sides.