Shloka 31
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall
पदातिसंघैश्न हतैर्विविधायुध भूषणै: । भीरूणां त्रासजननी घोररूपाभवन्मही,अंकुश, महावत, कवच, आयुध और ध्वजाओंसहित बड़े-बड़े गजराज बाणोंद्वारा मथित होकर भहराये हुए पर्वतोंके समान जान पड़ते थे। जिन्होंने बड़े-बड़े गजराजोंको मार डाला था, वे श्रेष्ठ रथ घोड़े, सारथि और योद्धाओंसे रहित हो मथे गये सरोवरोंके समान चूर- चूर होकर पृथ्वीपर बिखरे पड़े थे। नाना प्रकारके आयुधों और आभूषणोंसे युक्त पैदल सैनिकोंके समूह भी उस युद्धमें मारे गये थे। इन सबके कारण वहाँकी भूमि अत्यन्त भयानक तथा भीरु पुरुषोंके मनमें भय उत्पन्न करनेवाली हो गयी थी
padātisaṅghaiś ca hatair vividhāyudha-bhūṣaṇaiḥ | bhīrūṇāṃ trāsajaninī ghorarūpābhavan mahī ||
Sañjaya said: “With masses of foot-soldiers slain—still adorned with diverse weapons and ornaments—the earth there took on a dreadful aspect, becoming a source of terror to the faint-hearted. The battlefield, strewn with broken arms and fallen men, proclaimed the ethical cost of war: when fury rules, the very ground becomes a witness to fear, ruin, and the collapse of human restraint.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and psychological fallout of war: slaughter transforms the earth itself into a terrifying spectacle, reminding the listener that violence breeds fear and dehumanization, even when performed under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that large numbers of infantry have been killed; the ground is littered with bodies and war-gear, making the battlefield look dreadful and frightening to those of timid disposition.