Shloka 38
अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
हयानां वध्यमानानां गजानां रथिनां तथा
hayānāṁ vadhyamānānāṁ gajānāṁ rathināṁ tathā
Sañjaya berkata: “Tatkala kuda-kuda ditebas jatuh, demikian juga gajah-gajah dan para pahlawan kereta perang…”—beliau mula melukiskan kemusnahan yang kian memuncak di medan laga, apabila alat-alat perang dan para pejuang sendiri rebah bersama, menegaskan beban moral dan harga tragis pembunuhan yang tidak terkawal.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the comprehensive destructiveness of war: not only warriors but also animals and the very means of combat are destroyed. Ethically, it invites reflection on the collateral suffering and the heavy karmic and social cost that accompanies martial duty when violence escalates beyond restraint.
Sañjaya is describing the battlefield scene in Drona Parva, portraying ongoing slaughter—horses, elephants, and chariot-warriors being killed—setting the tone for a larger account of intense fighting and its grim consequences.