Shloka 78
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
अत्युग्रप्रतिपिशैश्व नदद्धिश्व भूशोत्कटै: । गजाश्रमथितैश्रान्यैर्मही कीणाभवत् प्रभो
atyugra-pratipiśaiś ca nadadbhir bhūśotkaṭaiḥ | gajāśva-mathitaiś cānyair mahī kīrṇābhavat prabho ||
अत्युग्रप्रतिपिशितैर्नर्दद्भिर्भूशोत्कटैः । गजाश्वैरथितैश्चान्यैर्मही कीर्णाभवत् प्रभो ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical horror of war’s aftermath: even beyond deliberate killing, uncontrolled forces—panic, stampeding animals, chaos—multiply suffering. It functions as a grim reminder that violence, once unleashed, exceeds human intention and leaves the earth itself burdened by adharma-born devastation.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the scene of carnage: warriors lie mangled and cry out in agony, while riderless horses and elephants, running loose, trample additional fighters. The battlefield ground is described as covered with corpses.