Shloka 33
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
हयाश्न बहवो राजन् पत्तयश्न तथा पुनः । रथेभ्यो रथिन: पेतुस्तस्य नुन्ना: सम सायकै:,राजन! राक्षस अलम्बुषने युद्धस्थलमें पाण्डव-सेनाके बहुत-से हाथियों, घोड़ों और पैदल सैनिकोंका बारंबार संहार किया, उसके बाणोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न होकर बहुतेरे रथी रथोंसे गिर पड़े
hayāś ca bahavo rājan pattayaś ca tathā punaḥ | rathebhyo rathinaḥ petus tasya nunnāḥ sama-sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, many horses and many foot-soldiers again and again were cut down; and numerous chariot-warriors, struck and driven back by his even-flying arrows, fell from their chariots. The account underscores the grim momentum of battle, where prowess turns into widespread slaughter and the field becomes a measure of both martial skill and the tragic cost of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: skill and force can produce sweeping destruction, reminding the listener that victory in battle carries grave human and moral cost, even when framed within kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a powerful fighter’s arrows are causing heavy losses—horses and infantry are repeatedly slain, and many chariot-warriors are struck so severely that they tumble from their chariots.