Shloka 55
गजाश्न रथयोधाश्व परिपेतु: समन्ततः । विकीर्णाश्व रथा भूमौ भग्नचक्रयुगध्वजा:
gajāś ca rathayodhāś ca paripetuḥ samantataḥ | vikīrṇāśva-rathā bhūmau bhagna-cakra-yuga-dhvajāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Di sekeliling, gajah-gajah dan para pahlawan kereta perang rebah ke tanah. Di bumi terhampar tidak terbilang kereta perang yang berselerak—kuda dan kereta dalam kekacauan—kerana roda, palang kuk, dan panji-panji mereka telah dihancurkan. Pemandangan itu menegaskan beratnya beban moral perang: keperkasaan dan kesombongan runtuh menjadi kebinasaan, dan medan laga merendahkan segala pertunjukan kepahlawanan kepada alat-alat yang patah serta jasad-jasad yang tumbang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the transience of martial power and the ethical weight of warfare: the proud symbols of victory—chariots, banners, and war-elephants—end as broken objects on the ground, reminding the listener that violence inevitably produces ruin and suffering beyond mere triumph.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield aftermath: elephants and chariot-warriors are being struck down everywhere, and many chariots lie scattered because their essential parts—wheels, yokes, and standards—have been smashed in combat.