Shloka 4
Kurukṣetra-anudarśanam — Rāma-hradāḥ and the Question of Kṣatra Continuity (शान्ति पर्व, अध्याय ४८)
गजाश्चदेहास्थिचयै: पर्वतैरिव संचितम् । नरशीर्षकपालैशक्ष शंखैरिव च सर्वश:,वहाँ हाथियों और घोड़ोंके शरीरों तथा हड्डियोंके अनेकानेक पहाड़ों-जैसे ढेर लगे हुए थे। सब ओर शंखके समान सफेद नरमुण्डोंकी खोपड़ियाँ फैली हुई थीं
gajāś ca dehāsthicayaiḥ parvatair iva sañcitam | naraśīrṣakapālaiś ca śaṅkhair iva ca sarvaśaḥ ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—وہاں ہاتھیوں اور گھوڑوں کے جسموں اور ہڈیوں کے ڈھیر پہاڑوں کی مانند جمع ہو گئے تھے؛ اور ہر سمت انسانی کھوپڑیاں، شَنگھ کی طرح سفید، بکھری پڑی تھیں۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the devastating cost of war: even the mighty (elephants, warriors) become indistinguishable heaps of bodies and bones. The stark imagery supports the Shanti Parva’s ethical reflection on violence, impermanence, and the need to re-anchor kingship and conduct in dharma after destruction.
Vaiśampāyana describes a scene of carnage after battle: mountain-like piles of animal bodies and bones, and human skulls scattered everywhere, their whiteness compared to conch-shells. The narration sets a somber backdrop for the ensuing discourse on peace, duty, and moral restoration.