Shloka 18
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 125: Duryodhana’s despair and vow after Jayadratha’s fall (जयद्रथवधे दुर्योधनविलापः)
अशोभत महाराज किंशुकैरिव पुष्पितै: । महाराज! प्रजापालक नरेश! उस समय गिरे हुए गजराजों, अनेक टुकड़ोंमें कटी हुई ध्वजाओं तथा धरतीपर पड़े हुए, सोनेकी कलंगियोंसे सुशोभित घोड़ोंसे, जो सात्यकिके बाणोंसे क्षत-विक्षत होकर खूनसे लथपथ हो रहे थे, आच्छादित हुई यह पृथ्वी वैसी ही शोभा पा रही थी, मानो वह लाल फूलोंसे भरे हुए पलाशके वृक्षोंद्वारा ढक गयी हो || १६-१७ $ ।। ते वध्यमाना: समरे युयुधानेन तावका:
sañjaya uvāca |
aśobhat mahārāja kiṃśukair iva puṣpitaiḥ |
te vadhyamānāḥ samare yuyudhānena tāvakāḥ |
सञ्जय उवाच—महाराज, सा मेदिनी किंशुकैरिव पुष्पितैः समाच्छन्नेवाशोभत। तव सैनिकाः समरे युयुधानेन वध्यमानाः पतितनागैः, बहुधा छिन्नध्वजैः, कनकापीडहयैश्च शरसंकृत्तैः शोणितार्द्रैश्च समन्तात् प्रकीर्णा बभूवुः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral dissonance of war: the battlefield can be described with poetic beauty, yet that ‘beauty’ is born from slaughter. It implicitly critiques the glamorization of violence and reminds the listener (the king) that royal power and duty (to protect subjects) collapse into grief when driven by adharma and factional hatred.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna) is cutting down Kaurava forces. The ground is covered with fallen elephants, severed banners, and wounded horses with golden ornaments, all bloodied by Sātyaki’s arrows—making the earth look like it is covered with red-blossomed palāśa trees.