Shloka 16
हतैर्गजपदात्योघैवजिभिश्न निषूदितै: । रथैश्व बहुधा भग्नै: समास्तीर्यत मेदिनी
hatair gajapadātyoghair vajibhiś ca niṣūditaiḥ | rathaiś ca bahudhā bhagnaiḥ samāstīryata medinī || ekaikaṃ tribhir ānarccat kaḍukabarhiṇavājitaiḥ | tataḥ suśarmāṇaṃ ca kṛpācāryaṃ ca trīṇi-trīṇi śaraiḥ vivyādha | rājendra! punaḥ samarāṅgaṇe prāgjyotiṣanareśaṃ bhagadattaṃ sindhurājaṃ jayadrathaṃ citrasenaṃ vikarṇaṃ kṛtavarmāṇaṃ durmiṣaṇaṃ tathā mahārathī vindānuvindau—eteṣāṃ pratyekaṃ gṛdhrapakṣayuktaiḥ trīṇi-trīṇi śaraiḥ viśeṣapīḍāṃ cakāra | tatra hatair gajaiḥ padātibhiḥ aśvaiś ca bhagnaiś ca bahubhir rathaiḥ pṛthivī ācchāditābhavat ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Natabunan ang lupa ng mga napatay—mga elepante at mga pulutong ng impanterya, mga kabayong pinaslang, at maraming karwaheng nadurog sa iba’t ibang paraan. Pagkaraan, isa-isa niyang tinamaan ang bawat isa ng tig-tatlong palaso—may balahibong gaya ng pakpak ng buwitre—at tinuhog din niya sina Susharma at Kripacharya, tig-tatatlong palaso bawat isa. O pinakadakila sa mga hari, sa larangan ay pinasakit niya—tig-tatatlong palaso—si Bhagadatta, hari ng Pragjyotisha; si Jayadratha, panginoon ng Sindhu; si Chitrasena; si Vikarna; si Kritavarma; si Durmishana; at ang mga dakilang mandirigmang sina Vinda at Anuvinda. Kaya’t ang lupa’y tila natago sa ilalim ng mga bangkay at guho ng digmaan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim consequence of war: even when fought under kshatriya codes, the battlefield quickly becomes a landscape of ruin. It implicitly urges reflection on dharma—valor and skill do not erase the moral weight of widespread destruction.
Sanjaya describes the battlefield littered with dead elephants, soldiers, horses, and broken chariots. A warrior (implied from context) shoots three arrows at a time, piercing Susharma and Kripa, and then similarly striking Bhagadatta, Jayadratha, Chitrasena, Vikarna, Kritavarma, Durmishana, and the brothers Vinda and Anuvinda.