Shloka 45
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
प्रार्थयाना निपतिता: संक्षुण्णा वरवारणै: । अशोभन्त महाराज सपुष्पा इव किंशुका:,महाराज! कुछ वीर पुरुष अपना रथ भग्न हो जानेके कारण युद्धमें पृथ्वीपर गिरकर दूसरेका रथ माँग रहे थे, इतनेहीमें बड़े-बड़े हाथियोंके पैरोंसे वे कुचल गये। उस समय उनके रक्तरंजित शरीर फूले हुए पलाशके समान शोभा पा रहे थे
prārthayānā nipatitāḥ saṁkṣuṇṇā varavāraṇaiḥ | aśobhanta mahārāja sapuṣpā iva kiṁśukāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, sebahagian pahlawan, apabila kereta perang mereka hancur, rebah ke tanah sambil merayu meminta kereta lain; namun ketika merayu itu juga mereka diremukkan di bawah kaki gajah-gajah besar. Lalu tubuh mereka yang berlumur darah tampak menyerlah seperti pokok kiṁśuka yang sedang berbunga.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh, indiscriminate nature of war: even brave warriors, reduced to pleading after losing their chariots, are crushed without pause. The poetic comparison to blossoming kiṁśuka trees intensifies the ethical tension—beauty of imagery set against the horror of violence—prompting reflection on the cost of kṣatriya warfare and the fragility of life amid dharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where some fighters, thrown down because their chariots are destroyed, beg for another chariot to rejoin combat. Before help arrives, large elephants trample them. Their blood-covered bodies are likened to red-flowering palāśa (kiṁśuka) trees.