Shloka 37
ततः: पञ्चशतान् हत्वा सवरूथान् महारथान् । जघान कुज्जरानीकं पुन: सप्तशतं युधि,तदनन्तर भीमसेनने आवरणोंसहित पाँच सौ विशाल रथोंका संहार करके युद्धमें सात सौ हाथियोंकी सेनाको पुनः मार गिराया। फिर उत्तम बाणोंद्वारा एक लाख पैदलों और सवारोंसहित आठ सौ घोड़ोंका वध करके पाण्डव भीमसेन विजयश्रीसे सुशोभित होने लगे
tataḥ pañcaśatān hatvā savarūthān mahārathān | jaghāna kuñjarānīkaṃ punaḥ saptaśataṃ yudhi |
Sañjaya said: Then, having slain five hundred great chariot-warriors together with their chariot-gear, Bhīmasena again struck down, in the midst of battle, a force of seven hundred elephants. The passage underscores the relentless escalation of violence in war: prowess and victory are narrated as facts, yet the sheer scale of slaughter implicitly points to the terrible moral cost that accompanies martial glory.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not preach directly; it narrates battlefield prowess. Ethically, it highlights how war magnifies destruction—victory and fame are described alongside staggering loss, inviting reflection on the human cost that shadows kṣatriya heroism.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīmasena, in the ongoing battle, kills five hundred elite chariot-warriors with their chariot equipment and then again destroys a contingent of seven hundred elephants.