ते हता न््यपतन् राजन् वज्रभग्ना इव द्रुमा: । तान् दृष्टवा निहतान् वीरो रणे पुत्रान् महाबलान्
te hatā nyapatan rājan vajrabhagnā iva drumāḥ | tān dṛṣṭvā nihatān vīro raṇe putrān mahābalān ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: O Hari, nang sila’y mapatay, sila’y bumagsak—gaya ng mga punong nabasag ng kidlat. Nang makita ang mga anak na ubod-lakas na nakahandusay na patay sa digmaan, nasaksihan ng bayani ang pagkapuksa na dulot ng giyera, na nagpapabagsak sa lakas at lahi.
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the fragility of human power and lineage in war: even the mighty fall suddenly, like trees split by a thunderbolt. It implicitly warns that martial glory is inseparable from irreversible loss, inviting reflection on the ethical cost of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that warriors have been slain and are collapsing on the battlefield. A hero (unnamed in this verse) sees his powerful sons lying dead in combat, marking a moment of shock and grief amid the ongoing battle.