Mahabharata 7.181.11 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 181, Shloka 11
संछिन्नभिन्नध्वजिनश्व केचित् केचिच्छरैरदितभिन्नदेहा: | केचिद् विसूता विहयाश्न केचिद् वैकर्तनेनाशु कृता बभूवु:
sañchinnabhinna-dhvajinaś ca kecit kecic charair ādita-bhinna-dehāḥ | kecid visūtā vihayāś ca kecid vaikartanenāśu kṛtā babhūvuḥ ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിടെ വൈകർത്തനൻ ഉടൻ തന്നെ ചിലരുടെ ധ്വജങ്ങളെ ഛിന്നഭിന്നമാക്കി; ചിലരുടെ ദേഹങ്ങളെ അമ്പുകളാൽ പീഡിപ്പിച്ച് പിളർത്തി; ചിലരെ സാരഥിയില്ലാത്തവരാക്കി, ചിലരെ കുതിരകളില്ലാത്തവരാക്കി।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark moral atmosphere of war: martial excellence can instantly dismantle not only bodies but also the supports and symbols of a warrior’s identity—banner, charioteer, and horses—highlighting the fragility of worldly status and the heavy ethical cost inherent in battlefield duty.
Sañjaya reports Karna’s rapid onslaught: he shatters some warriors’ standards, pierces and splits others with arrows, kills or removes charioteers, and slays horses—disabling chariots and throwing the opposing ranks into confusion.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.