Shloka 26
ते हता न््यपतन् राजन् वज्रभग्ना इव द्रुमा: । तान् दृष्टवा निहतान् वीरो रणे पुत्रान् महाबलान्
te hatā nyapatan rājan vajrabhagnā iva drumāḥ | tān dṛṣṭvā nihatān vīro raṇe putrān mahābalān ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, setelah terbunuh mereka rebah—laksana pohon yang dihancurkan halilintar. Melihat putera-putera yang amat perkasa itu gugur di medan perang, sang wira menyaksikan kebinasaan yang dibawa perang, yang merendahkan kekuatan dan keturunan sekaligus.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of human power and lineage in war: even the mighty fall suddenly, like trees split by a thunderbolt. It implicitly warns that martial glory is inseparable from irreversible loss, inviting reflection on the ethical cost of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that warriors have been slain and are collapsing on the battlefield. A hero (unnamed in this verse) sees his powerful sons lying dead in combat, marking a moment of shock and grief amid the ongoing battle.