Shloka 7
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
तदुदीर्णरथाश्वेभं पत्तिप्रवरसंकुलम् | कुलालचक्रवद् भ्रान्तं पाण्ड्येना भ्याहतं बलात्,कौरव-सेनामें रथ, घोड़े और हाथियोंकी संख्या बढ़ी-चढ़ी थी, श्रेष्ठ पैदल सैनिकोंसे भी वह सेना भरी हुई थी, तथापि पाण्ड्यनरेशके द्वारा बलपूर्वक आहत होकर वह कुम्हारके चाककी भाँति चक्कर काटने लगी
tadudīrṇarathāśvebhaṃ pattipravarasaṅkulam | kulālacakravad bhrāntaṃ pāṇḍyenābhyāhataṃ balāt ||
Sañjaya said: Though the Kaurava host was swollen with chariots, horses, and elephants, and crowded with excellent foot-soldiers, yet—struck with force by the Pāṇḍya king—it began to whirl about like a potter’s wheel. The image conveys how sheer martial prowess and numbers, when met by a focused and righteous counterstroke, can collapse into confusion and loss of order on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Numerical strength and impressive military assets do not guarantee stability in war; when leadership and formation are broken by a powerful assault, even a vast force can devolve into confusion—symbolized by the potter’s wheel. The verse highlights the ethical and strategic value of disciplined action over mere magnitude.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava army, despite being heavily equipped and packed with elite troops, is forcefully struck by the Pāṇḍya king and begins to spin and reel in disarray, like a potter’s wheel set rapidly turning.