Shloka 28
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
तत्राच्छिद्यत शूरस्य सखड्गो बाहुरुद्यतः,उस युद्धमें एक शूरवीरकी खड्गसहित ऊपर उठी हुई भुजा काट डाली गयी। दूसरेकी भी धनुष-बाण और अंकुशसहित बाँह खण्डित हो गयी। वहाँ एक सैनिक दूसरेको पुकारता था और दूसरा युद्धसे विमुख होकर भागा जा रहा था
tatrācchidyata śūrasya sa-khaḍgo bāhur udyataḥ | us yuddhe eka-śūravīrasya khaḍga-sahita ūrdhva-utthitā bhujā kartitā | dvitīyasya api dhanuḥ-bāṇa-aṅkuśa-sahitā bāhuḥ khaṇḍitā | tatra ekaḥ sainikaḥ anyam āhvayati sma, anyaś ca yuddhāt vimukhaḥ bhīto dhāvati sma ||
Sanjaya describes the chaos of the battle: there, the upraised arm of a warrior—still gripping his sword—was severed. Another fighter’s arm too was cut down, even as it held bow, arrows, and a goad. In that turmoil one soldier called out to another, while someone else, turning away from the fight, fled from the battlefield—showing how war breaks both bodies and resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and psychological reality of war: even the brave are physically shattered, and fear can make fighters turn away. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty versus the tragic human cost—how violence tests resolve and exposes vulnerability.
Sanjaya reports vivid battlefield scenes: a warrior’s raised arm is cut off while holding a sword; another’s arm is severed while bearing bow, arrows, and a goad. Amid the confusion, one soldier calls to another, while someone else abandons the fight and runs away.