Mahabharata 7.32.78 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 78
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
तथा परैर्बहुकरणैर्वरायुधै- हता गता: प्रतिभयदर्शना: क्षितिम् विपोथिता हयगजपादताडिता भूशाकुला रथमुखनेमिश्रि: क्षता:
tathā parair bahukaraṇair varāyudhair hatā gatāḥ pratibhayadarśanāḥ kṣitim | vipothitā hayagajapādatāḍitā bhūśākulā rathamukhanemiśriḥ kṣatāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Demikianlah, dipukul jatuh oleh musuh—yang memiliki banyak kelengkapan perang dan senjata yang unggul—orang-orang rebah di bumi, ngeri dipandang. Ada yang dipijak dan dihentam oleh kaki kuda serta gajah lalu tersungkur. Ada pula yang dihancurkan di bawah bibir dan hadapan roda kereta-kereta besar, terkoyak dan remuk, menggeliat dalam kesakitan yang amat sangat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: superior weapons and many war-means culminate in widespread bodily devastation. It functions as a moral mirror—reminding the listener that martial success is inseparable from suffering, and that dharma in war must be weighed against the human cost.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield aftermath: soldiers slain by the enemy’s excellent weapons lie on the earth in terrifying condition; some are trampled by horses and elephants, while others are crushed and mangled beneath the wheels of great chariots.
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