Shloka 116
मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८
Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis
निधन समनुप्राप्तं समासाद्येतरेतरम् । अपने बाहुबलसे शोभा पानेवाले पाँच लाख वीर आपसमें ही लड़-भिड़कर मर मिटे
nidhanaṃ samanupprāptaṃ samāsādya itaretaram | apane bāhubalena śobhā pānevāle pāñca-lakṣa vīrāḥ āpasameṃ hī laḍ-bhiḍkar mara miṭe ||
Arjuna disse: “Tendo alcançado o fim que lhes estava destinado, investiram uns contra os outros. Quinhentos mil guerreiros—outrora célebres pelo esplendor da própria força—voltaram-se uns contra os outros, lutaram corpo a corpo e pereceram até o último.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even great strength and worldly glory cannot avert the ripening of destiny shaped by prior deeds; when dharma collapses and passions rule, power turns inward and becomes self-destructive, underscoring impermanence and moral accountability.
Arjuna reports that a vast host of warriors, having come to their fated end, confronted one another and fought among themselves until they were annihilated—an image of internecine conflict culminating in total ruin.