Shloka 1196
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
बहुना च गजाश्वेन भूरभूद् भीमदर्शना । मरे और अधमरे सहस्रों मनुष्यों और बहुसंख्यक हाथी-घोड़ोंसे पटी हुई भूमि बड़ी डरावनी दिखायी देती थी
bahunā ca gajāśvena bhūr abhūd bhīmadarśanā | mare ca adhamare sahasro manuṣyāṇāṃ bahusaṅkhyakaiḥ hastibhiḥ aśvaiś ca paṭitā bhūmiḥ bhṛśaṃ bhayānakā dṛśyate sma |
Sañjaya said: The ground had become terrifying to behold, strewn everywhere with countless elephants and horses, and with thousands of men—some dead, others not yet fully dead—so that the battlefield itself appeared dreadful and morally chilling in the wake of the night’s slaughter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical horror of war’s aftermath: beyond victory or defeat, the battlefield becomes a spectacle of suffering—dead and grievously wounded—inviting reflection on the moral cost of violence and the fragility of life.
Sañjaya describes the scene after the nocturnal slaughter: the ground is covered with fallen men, elephants, and horses; many are dead and many are still barely alive, making the battlefield appear fearsome and grim.