एते दीर्यन्ति सगणा: पठ्चालानां महारथा:
ete dīryanti sagaṇāḥ pāñcālānāṃ mahārathāḥ
ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਪਾਂਚਾਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਇਹ ਮਹਾਰਥੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਗਣਾਂ (ਦਲਾਂ) ਸਮੇਤ ਚੀਰੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ।
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: status and martial excellence do not shield anyone from destruction. It implicitly warns that collective pride in force (even with strong retinues) collapses before the brutal reality of battle, inviting reflection on the human cost behind heroic labels like “mahāratha.”
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reports that the Pāñcāla contingent’s foremost chariot-warriors, along with their supporting troops, are being shattered in the ongoing fighting—signaling a severe setback and intensification of slaughter.