Shloka 24
गजाश्चममितं हत्वा हता: सप्त महारथा: । हत्वा पजच सहस्राणि रथानां प्रपितामह:
sañjaya uvāca |
gajāś ca amitaṁ hatvā hatāḥ sapta mahārathāḥ |
hatvā pañca sahasrāṇi rathānāṁ prapitāmahaḥ ||
सञ्जय उवाच—गजानाममितं हत्वा हताः सप्त महारथाः। हत्वा पञ्च सहस्राणि रथानां प्रपितामहः॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immense destructiveness of war even when performed as duty: extraordinary martial prowess can coexist with grave human (and animal) cost, inviting reflection on dharma in conflict and the ethical weight of battlefield action.
Sañjaya reports Bhīṣma’s battlefield exploits: he slays countless war-elephants, brings down seven elite chariot-warriors, and destroys five thousand chariots, emphasizing the scale of carnage and Bhīṣma’s dominance in the fighting.