Shloka 38
हत्वा दशसहस््राणि गजानामनिवर्तिनाम् । नृणां शतसहसे द्वे दे शते चैव भारत
sañjaya uvāca | hatvā daśasahasrāṇi gajānām anivartinām | nṛṇāṁ śatasahasre dve dve śate caiva bhārata ||
ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಭಾರತ! ಹಿಂತಿರುಗದ ಹತ್ತು ಸಾವಿರ ಗಜರಾಜರನ್ನೂ, ಇನ್ನೂ ಎರಡು ಲಕ್ಷ ಎರಡು ನೂರು ಪಾದಾತಿಗಳನ್ನೂ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿ ಭೀಮಸೇನನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ರಕ್ತನದಿಯನ್ನು ಹರಿಯುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದನು.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s double vision: battlefield prowess and steadfastness are praised as kṣatriya-duty, yet the narration also forces the listener to confront the catastrophic human cost—war may be ‘duty-bound,’ but it remains morally and emotionally devastating.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the immense slaughter on the battlefield: vast numbers of unretreating elephants and foot-soldiers are killed, and the fighting is so intense that it is described as making a ‘river of blood’ flow—an image of overwhelming carnage.