Mahabharata 7.32.173 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 173
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
पतितान् पोथयाज्चक्रुर्द्धिपा: स्थूलनलानिव । काले रंगके लोहमय कवच धारण करके रणभूमिमें गिरे हुए कितने ही मनुष्यों, रथों, घोड़ों और हाथियोंको बड़े-बड़े गजराजोंने मोटे नरकुलोंके समान रौंद डाला
patitān pothayāṃś cakrur dhīpāḥ sthūla-nalān iva |
सञ्जय उवाच—महागजा रणभूमौ पतितान् नरान् रथान् अश्वान् गजान् च, स्थूलनलानिव, पोथयामासुः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing force of war: once combat reaches its peak, even the fallen—who would ordinarily deserve protection—can be crushed by uncontrolled violence. It invites reflection on dharma in warfare and the moral cost when power operates without restraint.
Sañjaya describes a chaotic battlefield moment in the Droṇa Parva where great elephants surge through the field and trample down those already fallen—warriors along with their mounts and vehicles—likening them to thick reeds being crushed.
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