Shloka 173
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
पतितान् पोथयाज्चक्रुर्द्धिपा: स्थूलनलानिव । काले रंगके लोहमय कवच धारण करके रणभूमिमें गिरे हुए कितने ही मनुष्यों, रथों, घोड़ों और हाथियोंको बड़े-बड़े गजराजोंने मोटे नरकुलोंके समान रौंद डाला
patitān pothayāṃś cakrur dhīpāḥ sthūla-nalān iva |
サञ्जयは語った。「大いなる象王たちは戦場に倒れた者ども—人も、戦車も、馬も、さらには他の象さえ—を踏みにじり、太い葦を潰すかのように砕いた。」この光景は、戦の無慈悲な勢いを示す。力と恐慌が節度を押し流し、倒れた者は武器の激突のただ中で無力となる。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing force of war: once combat reaches its peak, even the fallen—who would ordinarily deserve protection—can be crushed by uncontrolled violence. It invites reflection on dharma in warfare and the moral cost when power operates without restraint.
Sañjaya describes a chaotic battlefield moment in the Droṇa Parva where great elephants surge through the field and trample down those already fallen—warriors along with their mounts and vehicles—likening them to thick reeds being crushed.