ततो हता नररथवाजिकुञ्जरैर्; अनेकशो द्विपरथवाजिपत्तयः ॥
गजैर् गजा रथिभिर् उदायुधा रथा; हयैर् हयाः पत्तिगणैश् च पत्तयः ॥
रथैर् द्विपा द्विरदवरैर् महाहया; हयैर् नरा वररथिभिश् च वाजिनः ॥
निरस्तजिह्वादशनेक्षणाः क्षितौ; क्षयं गताः प्रमथितवर्मभूषणाः ॥
तथा परैर् बहुकरणैर् वरायुधैर्; हता गताः प्रतिभयदर्शनाः क्षितिम् ॥
विपोथिता हयगजपादताडिता; भृशाकुला रथखुरनेमिभिर् हताः ॥
प्रमोदने श्वापदपक्षिरक्षसां; जनक्षये वर्तति तत्र दारुणे ॥
महाबलास् ते कुपिताः परस्परं; निषूदयन्तः प्रविचेरुर् ओजसा ॥
ततो बले भृशलुलिते परस्परं; निरीक्षमाणे रुधिरौघसंप्लुते ॥
दिवाकरे ऽस्तंगिरिम् आस्थिते शनैर्; उभे प्रयाते शिबिराय भारत ॥
tato hatā nararathavājikuñjarair; anekaśo dviparathavājipattayaḥ ||
gajair gajā rathibhir udāyudhā rathā; hayair hayāḥ pattigaṇaiś ca pattayaḥ ||
rathair dvipā dviradavarair mahāhayā; hayair narā vararathibhiś ca vājinaḥ ||
nirastajihvādaśanekṣaṇāḥ kṣitau; kṣayaṃ gatāḥ pramathitavarmabhūṣaṇāḥ ||
tathā parair bahukaraṇair varāyudhair; hatā gatāḥ pratibhayadarśanāḥ kṣitim ||
vipothitā hayagajapādatāḍitā; bhṛśākulā rathakhuranemibhir hatāḥ ||
pramodane śvāpadapakṣirakṣasāṃ; janakṣaye vartati tatra dāruṇe ||
mahābalās te kupitāḥ parasparaṃ; niṣūdayantaḥ pravicerur ojasā ||
tato bale bhṛśalulite parasparaṃ; nirīkṣamāṇe rudhiraughasaṃplute ||
divākare 'staṃgirim āsthite śanair; ubhe prayāte śibirāya bhārata ||
Then in great numbers were slain — by men, chariots, horses, and elephants — elephants, chariots, horses, and foot-soldiers; elephants by elephants, chariots with raised weapons by the charioted, horses by horses, foot-soldiers by bands of foot-soldiers; elephants by chariots, tall horses by mighty elephants, men by horses, and horses by excellent charioted warriors. With tongues lolling out, teeth knocked loose, and eyes torn out, with armor and ornaments crushed, they perished to the ground. Equally slain by foes versatile in many arts, wielding excellent weapons, terrifying in appearance, they fell to the ground, trampled, trodden by horses, elephants, and men on foot, in utter confusion, killed by chariots, hooves, and wheel-rims. While there, to the delight of beasts of prey, birds, and rakshasas, the dreadful destruction of men was unfolding, those mighty, enraged warriors ranged about, furiously slaughtering one another. And then, when both hosts had been cruelly battered, gazing at one another, drenched in torrents of blood, when the sun had slowly reached the sunset mountain, both hosts withdrew to their camps, O Bharata.
3e9dd1c91d57 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
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The day ends with the same thing that filled it — destruction 'to the delight of beasts of prey, birds, and rakshasas': the true 'victors' of every battle turn out to be the scavengers. And now at last, with the setting of the sun, both hosts, 'drenched in torrents of blood, gazing at one another,' slowly withdraw to their camps. In this weary, slow retreat lies a bitter sobering: after a whole day of mutual destruction, no one has won, and both armies are merely thinned. It is telling that they 'gaze at one another' — as if questioning the meaning of what has been done. The verse teaches that a day of war ends not in triumph but in exhaustion and shared loss; that the fruits of mutual destruction go only to death and the vultures; and that in this slow parting of blood-drenched hosts beneath the setting sun shows itself the whole futility of enmity — blood has been shed, the kingdom of Yama enlarged, yet the dispute remains unresolved, and tomorrow everything will begin again.