Shloka 126
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
विनिधघ्नन् व्यचरत् संख्ये युगान्ते कालवदू विभु: । फिर वे प्रभावशाली बलवान पाण्डुनन्दन रथियों और घोड़ोंके समूहको नष्ट करके अपनी भुजाओंके वेगसे रथोंके समुदायको खींचते और नष्ट करते हुए प्रलयकालके यमराजकी भाँति संग्रामभूमिमें विचरने लगे
vinidhaghnan vyacarat saṅkhye yugānte kālavad vibhūḥ |
Sañjaya said: Slaying without pause, the mighty one moved about in the battle like Time itself at the end of an age—overpowering the enemy’s charioteers and horses, dragging and shattering chariots by the sheer force of his arms, and roaming the field like Yama at the hour of dissolution. The verse heightens the moral atmosphere of war by portraying heroic prowess as an impersonal, cosmic inevitability, where destruction appears as the grim function of Time rather than mere personal hatred.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield destruction through the lens of Kāla (Time) and pralaya (dissolution), suggesting that in certain moments of dharma-conflict, events can appear driven by an impersonal cosmic force—highlighting the Mahābhārata theme that human agency operates within larger inevitabilities.
Sañjaya describes a Pāṇḍava hero rampaging through the fight, killing enemies and wrecking chariots and horses; the similes ‘like Time at the end of the age’ and ‘like Yama’ intensify the scene, portraying him as unstoppable on the battlefield.