Shloka 40
पुनर्दशशताश्चान्ये शतसाहस्रिणस्तथा । सोपलैर्बाहुिभिश्क्िन्नै: पेतुरप्राप्पय सात्यकिम्,फिर एक हजार दूसरे योद्धा तथा एक लाख अन्य सैनिक सात्यकितक पहुँचने भी नहीं पाये थे कि अपने हाथमें लिये शिलाखण्डोंसे कटी हुई बाहुओंके साथ ही धराशायी हो गये
punar daśaśatāś cānye śatasāhasriṇas tathā | sopalair bāhubhiś chinnaiḥ petur aprāpya sātyakim ||
Sañjaya said: Again, other bands—some numbering a thousand, and likewise others a hundred thousand strong—fell to the ground before they could even reach Sātyaki, their arms severed, still clutching stones. The scene underscores the grim momentum of battle: sheer numbers and reckless assault, when driven by rage rather than discernment, collapse into futile slaughter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical irony of war: numerical strength and aggressive intent do not guarantee success, and violence driven by blind fury leads to ruin. It implicitly warns that action without discernment (viveka) and restraint (saṃyama) becomes self-destructive, even when undertaken in a warrior context.
Sañjaya reports that fresh waves of fighters—some in the thousands and others in vast multitudes—rush toward Sātyaki but are cut down before reaching him. They fall with their arms severed, still gripping stones, indicating a desperate, close-quarters assault that collapses under Sātyaki’s overwhelming resistance.