Shloka 16
अध्याय ९१ — शैनेयस्य गजानीकभेदनं जलसंधवधश्च
Chapter 91: Sātyaki breaks the elephant array and slays Jalasaṃdha
बहुत-से दूसरे सैनिक आपसमें ही एक-दूसरेपर तथा अपने ऊपर भी प्रहार कर बैठते थे। वे कालसे मोहित होकर सारे संसारको अर्जुनमय ही मानने लगे ।। निष्टनन्तः: सरुधिरा विसंज्ञा गाढवेदना: । शयाना बहवो वीरा: कीर्तयन्त: स्वबान्धवान्,बहुत-से वीर रक्तसे भीगे शरीरसे धराशायी होकर गहरी वेदनाके कारण कराहते हुए अपनी चेतना खो बैठते थे और कितने ही योद्धा धरतीपर पड़े-पड़े अपने बन्धु-बान्धवोंको पुकार रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | niṣṭanantaḥ sarudhirā visaṃjñā gāḍha-vedanāḥ | śayānā bahavo vīrāḥ kīrtayantaḥ svabāndhavān ||
Sañjaya said: Many heroes, their bodies drenched in blood, groaned in agony and, overwhelmed by intense pain, lost consciousness. Many lay fallen on the ground, calling out the names of their own kinsmen. The scene reveals how, in the blindness of battle, warriors are reduced from proud agents of violence to helpless sufferers—reminding that war’s momentum eclipses discernment and turns even the mighty into mourners.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical reality that war, driven by delusion and momentum, strips warriors of agency and dignity, leaving only pain, unconsciousness, and desperate attachment to family—highlighting the human cost that dharma must reckon with.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield aftermath: numerous fighters lie wounded and bloodied, groaning from intense pain; some faint, while others, fallen on the earth, cry out the names of their relatives.