Shloka 45
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
ते क्षत्रिया: क्षतैगत्रिहत भूयिष्ठवाहना: । शरै: सम्पीड्यमानास्तु नातिव्यक्तमथाब्रुवन्
te kṣatriyāḥ kṣatair gātrair hata-bhūyiṣṭha-vāhanāḥ | śaraiḥ sampīḍyamānās tu nātivyaktam athābruvan |
Sañjaya berkata: Para kṣatriya itu—anggota tubuh mereka koyak dan terluka, dan kebanyakan tunggangan serta kenderaan mereka telah musnah—ditekan hebat oleh hujan anak panah. Dengan suara yang tidak jelas, mereka berkata: “Marilah kita menumpaskan seluruh bala tentera yang mengepung kita ini. Semua Pāṇḍava, setelah membantai pasukan gajah, kini mara menghampiri kita.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and psychological strain of war: even trained kṣatriya warriors, bound to fight, become physically shattered and mentally pressured, leading to urgent, reactive speech. It implicitly shows how violence compresses judgment and speech, and how battlefield dharma often manifests as desperate tactical resolve rather than calm deliberation.
Sañjaya reports that a group of kṣatriya fighters, badly wounded and having lost most of their mounts/vehicles, are being overwhelmed by enemy arrows. Speaking indistinctly due to pain and pressure, they urge one another to kill the surrounding force, noting that the Pāṇḍavas—after destroying the elephant contingent—are closing in on them.