Shloka 38
चतुः:शतान् पश्य रथानिमान् हतान् सवाजिसूतान् समरे किरीटिना । महेषुभि: सप्तशतानि दन्तिनां पदातिसादींश्व॒ रथाननेकश:
catuḥśatān paśya rathān imān hatān savājisūtān samare kirīṭinā | maheṣubhiḥ saptaśatāni dantināṃ padātisādīṃś ca rathān anekaśaḥ ||
“Behold these four hundred chariots lying destroyed—together with their horses and charioteers—slain in battle by the Kirīṭin (Arjuna). And with his mighty arrows he has also brought down seven hundred elephants, along with masses of infantry, and many chariots besides.” The speech underscores the overwhelming force unleashed in war and the grim moral weight of victory measured in lives and shattered formations.
विशोक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial excellence can translate into vast destruction; it implicitly invites reflection on the ethical gravity of war, where triumph is counted in annihilated troops and shattered war-machines, even when performed as a warrior’s duty.
Viśoka points out the scale of Arjuna’s devastation on the battlefield: hundreds of chariots with their horses and drivers are destroyed, along with hundreds of elephants, large bodies of infantry, and many more chariots—emphasizing Arjuna’s dominance in that phase of the fight.