Shloka 23
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
पज्च चाश्व॒सहस्त्राणि पत्तीनां च शतं शता: । एतच्छेषमभूद् राजन् पाण्डवानां महद् बलम्,संजयने कहा--राजन्! पाण्डवोंकी विशाल सेनामें-से केवल दो हजार रथ, सात सौ हाथी, पाँच हजार घोड़े और दस हजार पैदल बच गये थे
pañca cāśva-sahasrāṇi pattīnāṃ ca śataṃ śatāḥ | etac-cheṣam abhūd rājan pāṇḍavānāṃ mahad balam ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, inilah sahaja yang tinggal daripada bala tentera besar Pāṇḍava—lima ribu kuda dan ratusan demi ratusan askar berjalan kaki.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the devastating reduction of even a ‘great’ army to a small remainder, pointing to the fragility of worldly power and the heavy cost of war—an ethical reminder that adharma-fueled conflict consumes lives and resources regardless of claims to might.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra the surviving elements of the Pandavas’ forces after severe fighting: only a limited number of horses and many hundreds of infantry remain, emphasizing the scale of attrition in the Shalya Parva battles.