Shloka 17
ऊरू चिच्छेद चान्यस्य गजस्थस्य विशाम्पते । वाजिपृष्ठगतस्यापि भूमिष्ठस्थ च मारिष,माननीय प्रजानाथ! दूसरे योद्धा जो हाथियोंपर बैठे थे, घोड़ोंकी पीठपर सवार थे और पृथ्वीपर पैदल चलते थे, उनकी भी जाँघें कर्णने काट डालीं
ūrū ciccheda cānyasya gajasthasya viśāmpate | vājipṛṣṭhagatasyāpi bhūmiṣṭhastha ca māriṣa ||
Sañjaya said: O lord of the people, Karṇa severed the thighs of another warrior—whether he was seated upon an elephant, mounted on a horse’s back, or standing on the ground on foot. Thus, in the fury of battle, he struck down fighters of every station and mode of combat, displaying the ruthless efficiency that war unleashes when dharma is eclipsed by the drive to destroy.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare can reduce combat to sheer destruction across all ranks—elephant-riders, horsemen, and foot-soldiers alike—inviting reflection on how dharma becomes strained when victory is pursued through indiscriminate, brutal efficiency.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Karṇa, in the thick of battle, is maiming and felling opponents regardless of whether they fight from elephants, horses, or on foot, emphasizing Karṇa’s ferocity and the escalating carnage of the Drona Parva conflict.