Shloka 23
शैनेयचरितम्
The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement
धार्रराष्ट्रास्तथाभूता वध्यन्ते पाण्डुसृञ्जयै: । अगोपा: पशवो<रण्ये बहुभि: श्वापदैरिव,जैसे वनमें बिना रक्षकके पशुओंको बहुत-से हिंसक जन्तु मार डालते हैं, उसी प्रकार पाण्डव और सूंजय आपके सैनिकोंका वध कर रहे थे
dhārtarāṣṭrās tathābhūtā vadhyante pāṇḍusṛñjayaiḥ | agopāḥ paśavo 'raṇye bahubhiḥ śvāpadair iva ||
Sañjaya said: “Thus situated, the Dhārtarāṣṭra troops were being cut down by the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas—like unguarded cattle in a forest, slain by many wild beasts. The image underscores the collapse of protection and order in battle: when leadership and discipline fail, the vulnerable are destroyed without restraint.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and strategic consequence of failed protection: when an army loses guardianship—command, cohesion, and defensive cover—it becomes like unguarded cattle, exposed to destruction. Implicitly, it stresses the kṣatriya responsibility to protect dependents and maintain order; without that, violence becomes indiscriminate and the weak perish first.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces (Dhārtarāṣṭras) are being slaughtered by the Pāṇḍavas and their allies, the Sṛñjayas. He uses a vivid simile: unprotected animals in a forest being killed by numerous predators, conveying the Kauravas’ vulnerability and the intensity of the assault.