Shloka 53
घोरो निनादः प्रबभौ नरेन्द्र वज्ाहतानामिव पर्वतानाम् | वे सोनेकी पाँखवाले बाण भीमसेनके बाणोंसे दो-दो तीन-तीन टुकड़ोंमें कटकर गिर गये। राजन! नरेन्द्र! तत्पश्चात् श्रेष्ठ रजाओंकी मण्डलीमें भीमसेनके द्वारा मारे गये हाथियों, रथों, घोड़ों और पैदल युवकोंका भयंकर आर्तनाद प्रकट होने लगा, मानो वच्रके मारे हुए पहाड़ फट पड़े हों
sañjaya uvāca |
ghoro ninādaḥ prababhau narendra vajrāhatānām iva parvatānām |
Sañjaya said: O king, a dreadful roar arose—like the mountains splitting apart when struck by a thunderbolt. In that royal assembly of warriors, as Bhīmasena’s shafts cut down elephants, chariots, horses, and foot-soldiers, a terrifying cry of anguish spread through the ranks, echoing the ruin brought by irresistible force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the catastrophic human cost of war: martial power may appear ‘thunderbolt-like,’ yet it manifests as collective anguish. The epic’s ethical undertone is that victory and prowess are inseparable from suffering, inviting reflection on restraint and responsibility in kṣatriya conflict.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a terrifying uproar rises on the battlefield. The sound is compared to mountains splitting under a thunderbolt, as Bhīmasena’s arrows bring down many combatants and mounts, producing widespread cries of pain and panic.