संजय उवाच
क्रूरम् आयोधनं जज्ञे तस्मिन् राजसमागमे ॥
रुद्रस्येव हि क्रुद्धस्य निघ्नतस् तु पशून् यथा ॥
हस्तानाम् उत्तमाङ्गानां कार्मुकाणां च भारत ॥
छत्राणां चापविद्धानां चामराणां च संयुगे ॥
भग्नचक्रै रथैश् चापि पातितैश् च महाध्वजैः ॥
सादिभिश् च हतैः शूरैः संकीर्णा वसुधाभवत् ॥
बाणपातनिकृत्तास् तु योधास् ते कुरुसत्तम ॥
चेष्टन्तो विविधाश् चेष्टा व्यदृश्यन्त महाहवे ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
krūram āyodhanaṃ jajñe tasmin rājasamāgame ||
rudrasyeva hi kruddhasya nighnatas tu paśūn yathā ||
hastānām uttamāṅgānāṃ kārmukāṇāṃ ca bhārata ||
chatrāṇāṃ cāpaviddhānāṃ cāmarāṇāṃ ca saṃyuge ||
bhagnacakrai rathaiś cāpi pātitaiś ca mahādhvajaiḥ ||
sādibhiś ca hataiḥ śūraiḥ saṃkīrṇā vasudhābhavat ||
bāṇapātanikṛttās tu yodhās te kurusattama ||
ceṣṭanto vividhāś ceṣṭā vyadṛśyanta mahāhave ||
A cruel battle arose in that gathering of kings — as of an enraged Rudra, slaying beasts. Full of hands and heads and bows, O Bharata, and of shattered parasols and whisks in the clash; strewn with chariots of broken wheels, with toppled great banners, and with slain heroic horsemen the earth became. Those warriors, cut down by a rain of arrows, O best of the Kurus, writhing in various convulsions, were seen in the great battle.
826823f6588a · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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The field is likened to the dance of Rudra slaying beasts: the image sets the tone for the whole account of Drona's death — here shows itself not valor but all-consuming destruction. It is telling that the earth itself becomes a heap of wreckage — bows, parasols, standards, bodies: the outward grandeur of war turns to dust. The verse teaches that where Time rules the slaughter, everything made by hand collapses; and one who beholds this carnage is called to see through the transience of all worldly glory.