Shloka 22
द्रोणपर्व — द्विनवति-तमोऽध्यायः
Sātyaki Pressed by Kauravas; Duryodhana and Kṛtavarmā Engagements
यन्त्रबद्धा विकवचा व्रणार्ता रुधिरोक्षिता: । भ्रमत्सु युधि नागेषु मनुष्या विललम्बिरे
yantrabaddhā vikavacā vraṇārtā rudhirokṣitāḥ | bhramatsu yudhi nāgeṣu manuṣyā vilalambire ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle, men—caught fast as if by a device, stripped of their armour, wounded and in agony, drenched with blood—hung helplessly upon the elephants as they reeled and wheeled about. The scene underscores the dehumanizing force of war, where skill and courage are overwhelmed by chaos and suffering.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the brutal reality of war: even trained warriors become helpless, wounded, and bloodied amid chaos. Ethically, it invites reflection on the cost of violence and how quickly human dignity and agency can be reduced on the battlefield.
Sañjaya describes a combat scene where elephants are moving erratically in battle, and men—wounded, unarmoured, and blood-soaked—are seen hanging or clinging to them, suggesting disorder, injury, and desperation in the fighting.