Shloka 15
पतितास्तुरगेभ्यश्व गजेभ्यश्व महीतले | रथेभ्यश्व नरास्तूर्णमदृश्यन्त ततस्तत:,कितने ही मनुष्य वहाँ इधर-उधर घोड़ों, हाथियों और रथोंसे तुरंत ही गिरकर धराशायी हुए दिखायी देने लगे
patitās turagebhyaś ca gajebhyaś ca mahītale | rathebhyaś ca narās tūrṇam adṛśyanta tatas tataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, in every direction, men were seen falling swiftly to the ground—toppling from horses, from elephants, and from chariots—strewn across the battlefield. The scene underscores the relentless cost of war, where prowess and rank offer no refuge from sudden downfall.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark impermanence of martial glory: even mounted on powerful vehicles—horse, elephant, or chariot—warriors can be brought down in an instant. Ethically, it frames war as a domain of unavoidable suffering, reminding the listener that violence rapidly reduces status and strength to vulnerability.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, amid the fighting, warriors are being struck down and are visibly collapsing to the ground from their mounts and chariots, scattered in many places across the field.