Shloka 78
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
तथा परैर्बहुकरणैर्वरायुधै- हता गता: प्रतिभयदर्शना: क्षितिम् विपोथिता हयगजपादताडिता भूशाकुला रथमुखनेमिश्रि: क्षता:,शत्रुओंके पास बहुत-से साधन थे। उनके हाथमें उत्तम अस्त्र-शस्त्र थे। उनके द्वारा मारे जाकर पृथ्वीपर पड़े हुए सैनिक बड़े भयंकर दिखायी देते थे। कितने ही योद्धा हाथियों और घोड़ोंके पैरोंसे आहत होकर धरतीपर गिर पड़ते थे। कितने ही बड़े-बड़े रथोंके पहियोंसे कुचलकर क्षत-विक्षत हो अत्यन्त व्याकुल हो रहे थे
tathā parair bahukaraṇair varāyudhair hatā gatāḥ pratibhayadarśanāḥ kṣitim | vipothitā hayagajapādatāḍitā bhūśākulā rathamukhanemiśriḥ kṣatāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Thus, struck down by the enemy—who possessed many implements of war and excellent weapons—men fell upon the earth, appearing dreadful to behold. Some warriors, trampled and battered by the feet of horses and elephants, collapsed onto the ground. Others, crushed beneath the rims and fronts of great chariots’ wheels, were torn and mangled, writhing in extreme agony. The scene lays bare the ethical cost of battle: prowess and armaments culminate not in glory but in suffering bodies and a shaken earth.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: superior weapons and many war-means culminate in widespread bodily devastation. It functions as a moral mirror—reminding the listener that martial success is inseparable from suffering, and that dharma in war must be weighed against the human cost.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield aftermath: soldiers slain by the enemy’s excellent weapons lie on the earth in terrifying condition; some are trampled by horses and elephants, while others are crushed and mangled beneath the wheels of great chariots.