Shloka 383
अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
निध्नतः शात्रवान् भल््लैहस्त्यश्वंं चास्यतो महत् । अपने भल्लोंसे शत्रुसैनिकों तथा उनके हाथी-घोड़ेके महान् समुदायको मारते-गिराते हुए महामना पाण्डुकुमार अर्जुनके रथके पहियोंके लिये मार्ग नहीं मिलता था
sañjaya uvāca |
nidhnaṭaḥ śātravān bhallair hastyaśvaṃ cāsyato mahat |
apane bhallaiḥ śatrusainikāṃs tathā teṣāṃ hastighoḍānāṃ mahataḥ samūhaṃ mārayann api pātayann iva mahāmanāḥ pāṇḍukumāro 'rjunasya rathacakrayoḥ kṛte mārgaṃ na labhate sma |
Sañjaya said: As the high-minded Arjuna, son of Pāṇḍu, struck down the enemy ranks with sharp arrows—bringing down soldiers and felling great masses of elephants and horses—such was the press of battle and the sheer density of bodies and beasts that even the wheels of his chariot could not find a clear path forward. The scene underscores the terrible momentum of war: prowess and resolve may be unwavering, yet the battlefield itself becomes a moral and physical obstruction, choked by the consequences of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim reality that even righteous resolve and martial excellence operate within the crushing consequences of war: the battlefield becomes physically clogged by destruction, reminding the listener that violence—though undertaken as kṣatriya duty—creates obstacles and suffering that cannot be ignored.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna cutting down enemy troops and large formations of elephants and horses with sharp arrows. The fighting is so dense, and the fallen so numerous, that Arjuna’s chariot wheels cannot find a clear route through the battlefield.