Shloka 13
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सैन्यप्रशंसा, भेदनवृत्तान्त-प्रश्नः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Praise of the Host and Inquiry after the Breach
शतं चाश्वसहस्राणां रथानामयुतानि षट् । द्विरदानां प्रभिन्नानां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश
śataṃ cāśvasahasrāṇāṃ rathānām ayutāni ṣaṭ | dviradānāṃ prabhinnānāṃ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa
ਘੋੜੇ ਇੱਕ ਲੱਖ, ਰਥ ਸੱਠ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ, ਅਤੇ ਮਸਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਪੂਰੇ ਵੇਗ ਨਾਲ ਧਾਵਾ ਬੋਲਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਹਾਥੀ ਚੌਦਾਂ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਸਨ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the vast scale and momentum of war: when forces become immense and uncontrollable, the ethical weight of leadership and restraint becomes sharper—numbers amplify consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a battlefield tally—counting horses, chariots, and especially rutting elephants—conveying the magnitude and ferocity of the forces in motion.