Shloka 27
निरस्तजिद्दानेत्रान्ता वाजिन: सह सादिभि: | पतिता: पात्यमानाश्ष क्षितौ क्षीणा विशेरते
nirasta-jihvā-netrāntā vājiṇaḥ saha sādibhiḥ | patitāḥ pātyamānāś ca kṣitau kṣīṇā viśerate ||
Arjuna berkata: “Kuda-kuda itu, bersama para penunggangnya, telah ditumpaskan—lidah terjulur dan hujung mata terjojol. Dihumban ke tanah dan masih terus dijatuhkan, mereka terbaring lemah keletihan di bumi.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the stark cost of war: not only warriors but also animals suffer grievously. In the Mahabharata’s ethical horizon, such imagery functions as a reminder that even when battle is undertaken under kṣatriya-dharma, its consequences are tragic and morally weighty.
In the thick of the Karṇa Parva battle, Arjuna describes the immediate battlefield scene: horses and their mounted riders on the Kaurava side are being struck down by his assault, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion and mortal agony.