Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake
भुजैश्छिन्नैर्महाराज नागराजकरोपमै: । साड्दै: सतनुत्रैश्न सासिप्रासपरश्चधै:
bhujaiś chinnaiḥ mahārāja nāgarāja-karopamaiḥ | sāḍgaiḥ sa-tanūtraiś ca sa-asi-prāsa-paraśvadhaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, the battlefield was strewn with severed arms—mighty like the forearms of the lord of serpents—along with swords and shields, and with weapons such as blades, spears, and axes. The scene proclaimed the terrible cost of wrath and rivalry, where valor and violence alike end in ruin.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim consequence of war: even heroic strength (symbolized by powerful arms and weapons) ends as broken remnants. It implicitly cautions that unchecked hostility and rivalry lead to widespread destruction, challenging rulers to weigh dharma and responsibility against the lure of victory.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the horrific state of the battlefield, describing severed arms and scattered weapons—swords, shields, spears, and axes—emphasizing the intensity and carnage of the fighting in the Śalya Parva.