Shloka 26

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall

Devanagari script

तच्चक्रं भृशमुद्विग्ना: संचिच्छिदुरनेकधा । हवा उसके केशान्तभागको हिला रही थी। उसने अपने हाथमें चक्रनामक उत्तम आयुध उठा रखा था। उस समय उसके शरीर और उस चक्रको--जिसकी ओर दृष्टिपात करना देवताओंके लिये भी अत्यन्त कठिन था--देखकर समस्त भूपालगण अत्यन्त उद्विग्न हो उठे और उन सबने मिलकर उस चक्रके टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर दिये,तथाश्वनरनागानामलंकारैश्व सुप्रभे: । खडगै: सुनिशितै: पीतैनिर्मुक्तिर्भुजगैरिव सुवर्णमय पंखवाले बाणोंसे वहाँकी भूमि भरी हुई थी। रक्तकी धाराओंमें डूबी हुई थी। शूरवीरोंके कुण्डल-मण्डित तेजस्वी मस्तकों, हाथियोंके विचित्र झूलों, पताकाओं, चामरों, हाथीकी पीठपर बिछाये जानेवाले कम्बलों, इधर-उधर पड़े हुए उत्तम वस्त्रों, हाथी, घोड़े और मनुष्योंके चमकीले आभूषणों, केंचुलसे निकले हुए सर्पोके समान पैने और पानीदार खड़गों, भाँति-भाँतिके कटे हुए धनुषों, शक्ति, ऋष्टि, प्रास, कम्पन तथा अन्य नाना प्रकारके आयुधोंसे आच्छादित हुई रणभूमिकी अद्भुत शोभा हो रही थी

Transliteration

tac cakraṁ bhṛśam udvignāḥ saṁcicchidur anekadhā | tathāśvanaranāgānām alaṅkāraiś ca suprabhaiḥ | khaḍgaiḥ suniśitaiḥ pītaiḥ nirmuktir bhujagair iva ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Terrified at the sight of that discus, the kings, shaken with dread, struck together and shattered it into many pieces. And the battlefield shone strangely—strewn with the bright ornaments of horses, men, and elephants, and with keen, gleaming swords, like snakes newly freed from their slough. The scene underscores how, in the frenzy of war, even awe-inspiring weapons and royal splendor become mere debris, while fear and survival drive collective action.

Word by Word

तत्that

चक्रम्discus, wheel-weapon

भृशम्exceedingly, greatly

उद्विग्नाःagitated, alarmed

सञ्चिच्छिदुःthey cut to pieces, they shattered

अनेकधाin many ways; into many pieces

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

cakra (discus weapon)

bhūpāla (kings)

aśva (horses)

nara (men/warriors)

nāga (elephants)

khaḍga (swords)

battlefield (raṇabhūmi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral psychology of war: awe and terror can override royal pride, pushing rulers into desperate, collective violence. It also suggests the transience of power—splendid weapons and ornaments quickly become scattered remnants on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment when a formidable discus (cakra) terrifies the assembled kings, who then unite to break it apart. He then paints the battlefield’s eerie brilliance, littered with ornaments and sharp swords compared to snakes shedding their skins.