Shloka 39
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
नागराजोपमैहस्तैनगिराक्षिप्य संयुगे | व्यदृश्यन्त महाराज सम्भग्ना रथकूबरा:
nāgarājopamaiḥ hastair nagirākṣipya saṁyuge | vyadṛśyanta mahārāja sambhagnā rathakūbarāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O great king, in the thick of battle, with hands like those of the lord of serpents, they seized and hurled the chariots; and there were seen many chariot-poles shattered and broken. The verse underscores the brutal force unleashed in war and the visible ruin of martial instruments, hinting at the moral cost that accompanies such violence even when undertaken as a duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war, even when framed as kṣatriya duty, manifests as tangible devastation—broken chariots and ruined instruments—inviting reflection on the ethical weight and consequences of violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that in the battle warriors of immense strength seized and hurled chariots, and many chariot-poles were seen shattered on the battlefield.