अश्मचूर्णैः समाकीर्णा मनुष्याश् च वयांसि च ॥
नाशक्नुवन्न् अवस्थातुं भ्रमरैर् इव दंशिताः ॥
हतशिष्टा विरुधिरा भिन्नमस्तकपिण्डिकाः ॥
कुञ्जराः संन्यवर्तन्त युयुधानरथं प्रथि ॥
ततः शब्दः समभवत् तव सैन्यस्य मारिष ॥
माधवेनार्द्यमानस्य सागरस्येव दारुणः ॥
aśmacūrṇaiḥ samākīrṇā manuṣyāś ca vayāṃsi ca ||
nāśaknuvann avasthātuṃ bhramarair iva daṃśitāḥ ||
hataśiṣṭā virudhirā bhinnamastakapiṇḍikāḥ ||
kuñjarāḥ saṃnyavartanta yuyudhānarathaṃ prathi ||
tataḥ śabdaḥ samabhavat tava sainyasya māriṣa ||
mādhavenārdyamānasya sāgarasyeva dāruṇaḥ ||
"Strewn with stone-dust, both men and birds could not stand firm, as if stung by bees. Those left alive [after the slaughter], bloodied, [with] shattered temple-bosses, the elephants turned back [away] from Yuyudhana's chariot. Then a din arose from your army, O venerable one, harassed by the Madhava, terrible as [that] of the ocean."
bbe6cebb064a · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:08:02 PM UTC
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The stone-dust, flung into the air, stings the very ones who hurled it, "bhramarair iva", like bees: evil scattered by steadfastness turns back upon its own. It is telling that the weapon of guile destroys the one who wielded it. The verse teaches that treachery turned against the righteous rebounds upon its instigator: the rain of stones, shattered to dust, showers down upon the mountain-folk themselves, and wrongdoing reaps what it has sown -- for a blow aimed at righteousness recoils upon the wrongdoer.