Shloka 92
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
तत्र केचिन्नरा भीता व्यलीयन्त महीतले,तथैव तान् निपतितानपिंषन् गजवाजिन: । कितने ही योद्धा भयभीत हो पृथ्वीपर छिपे पड़े थे। उन्हें उसी अवस्थामें भागते हुए घोड़ों और हाथियोंने अपने पैरोंसे कुचल दिया
tatra kecin narā bhītā vyalīyanta mahītale | tathaiva tān nipatitān apiṁṣan gajavājinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: There, some men, terrified, lay low upon the ground. Even those who had fallen in that way were trampled down by the feet of elephants and horses rushing through. The verse underscores the blind momentum of war—where fear and collapse offer no refuge, and the violence of battle crushes the helpless without discernment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the indiscriminate nature of battlefield destruction: once violence is unleashed, even the frightened and fallen are not spared. Ethically, it points to the collapse of restraint and compassion in war, where the vulnerable are crushed by forces set in motion.
Sañjaya describes a scene of panic: some warriors, terrified, lie flat or hide on the ground, but the chaos of moving elephants and horses continues, and they are trampled underfoot despite being already down.