Shloka 52
साश्षारोहांश्व तुरगान् पत्तींश्वैव सहस्रधा । व्यपोथयत संग्रामे क्रुद्धों रुद्रः पशूनिव
sāśvārūḍhānś ca turagān pattīṃś caiva sahasradhā | vyapothayat saṅgrāme kruddho rudraḥ paśūn iva ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle he shattered horsemen mounted on their steeds, and the foot-soldiers as well, breaking them apart in countless ways—like an enraged Rudra striking down beasts. The verse underscores how wrath in war can turn human combatants into objects of indiscriminate destruction, evoking awe and moral unease at violence unrestrained by discernment.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying power of wrath in war: when anger dominates, destruction becomes sweeping and indiscriminate, inviting reflection on the ethical cost of violence and the need for restraint even amid conflict.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s onslaught in battle: he crushes mounted horsemen, their horses, and foot-soldiers in innumerable ways, and his ferocity is likened to Rudra striking down animals.