निहता हतभूयिष्ठा: संग्रामे निशितै: शरै:
nihatā hatabhūyiṣṭhāḥ saṅgrāme niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
Sañjaya berkata: “Dalam pertempuran, ramai yang tumbang—bahkan sebahagian besar terbunuh—oleh anak panah yang tajam lagi runcing.”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the disproportionate destruction caused by warfare: sharp weapons quickly turn a conflict into mass death. Ethically, it points to the heavy human cost that accompanies the pursuit of victory and the burden borne by those who choose the path of battle.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that on the battlefield many combatants have been killed, with most of them falling to keen arrows—an image of intense, lethal fighting and widespread casualties.