Shloka 54
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
जज्ञे घोरतर: शब्दो बहूनां सर्वतोदिशम् | उस घोर शब्दके साथ बहुत-से पशुओं और पक्षियों-कती भयानक आवाज भी सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें गूँज उठी ।। ५३ ह ।। ये तत्र वाजिन: शेषा गजाश्न मनुजै: सह
jajñe ghorataraḥ śabdo bahūnāṃ sarvatodiśam | ye tatra vājinaḥ śeṣā gajāś ca manujaiḥ saha ||
Vāyu-deva said: “A still more dreadful roar arose, spreading in every direction from the multitude. And there, the remaining horses and elephants—together with the men—(were caught amid that fearful tumult).”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war unleashes uncontrollable, all-pervading terror that engulfs humans and animals alike, hinting at the ethical cost of violence and the fragility of life amid collective conflict.
Vāyu-deva describes a sudden, extremely frightening clamour resounding in every direction; the remaining horses and elephants, along with the men, are depicted as being present within that overwhelming uproar, intensifying the scene of battlefield turmoil.