Shloka 22
स शब्दो भरतश्रेष्ठ दिश: सर्वा व्यनादयत् । सौभद्रश्नाद्रवत् सेनां घ्नन् वराश्वरथद्विपान्,भरतश्रेष्ठ। वह शब्द सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंको प्रतिध्वनित कर रहा था। सुभद्राकुमार श्रेष्ठ घोड़ों, रथों और हाथियोंका संहार करता हुआ कौरव-सेनापर टूट पड़ा था
sa śabdo bharataśreṣṭha diśaḥ sarvā vyanādayat | saubhadraḥ śīghram adravat senāṃ ghnan varāśvarathadvipān, bharataśreṣṭha ||
Sañjaya said: “O best of the Bharatas, that roar resounded through all directions. The son of Subhadrā rushed swiftly upon the Kaurava host, cutting down their finest horses, chariots, and elephants.” In the moral atmosphere of the epic, the verse highlights how a warrior’s prowess and momentum can shake the world of battle—yet it also underscores the tragic scale of destruction that accompanies kṣatriya-duty when war has become unavoidable.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly contrasts martial excellence with the vast human cost of war: a single warrior’s force can dominate the field, yet that very power manifests as widespread destruction. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension—kṣatriya-duty may demand fighting, but the epic never lets the listener forget the gravity of slaughter.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a tremendous battle-roar echoed in all directions as Saubhadra (Abhimanyu) charged into the Kaurava formation, killing their best horses, charioteers/chariots, and elephants—signaling a fierce breakthrough and escalating combat.