Shloka 396
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
पत्तिकोट्यस्तथा तिसख्रो बलमेतत्तवाभवत् | भरतश्रेष्ठ) आपके पक्षमें ग्यारह हजार रथ, दस हजार सात सौ हाथी, दो लाख घोड़े तथा तीन करोड़ पैदल--इतनी सेना शेष रह गयी थी
pattikoṭyas tathā tisakhro balam etat tava abhavat | bharataśreṣṭha, āpake pakṣa meṃ gyārah hazār ratha, das hazār sāt sau hastī, do lākh ghoṛe tathā tīn karoṛ paidal—itanī senā śeṣa rah gaī thī |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara keturunan Bharata, inilah kekuatan yang masih tinggal di pihak tuanku: sebelas ribu kereta perang, sepuluh ribu tujuh ratus gajah, dua ratus ribu kuda, dan tiga krore askar berjalan kaki.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the sobering reality of war: even when strategy and power are discussed as numbers, the moral weight lies in the immense, continuing cost in lives and resources. It implicitly cautions against pride in strength and highlights the impermanence of worldly power.
Sanjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhritarashtra, reports the forces still remaining on the Kaurava side—listing the counts of chariots, elephants, horses, and foot-soldiers after heavy fighting.