Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 44
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
न पाण्डवानां नास्माकं तत्र किज्चिद् व्यदृश्यत | बाणान्धकारे महति कृते तत्र महाहवे,उस महायुद्धमें बाणोंद्वारा महान् अन्धकार छा गया, जिससे वहाँ हमारी और पाण्डवोंकी कोई भी वस्तु दिखायी नहीं देती थी
na pāṇḍavānāṃ nāsmākaṃ tatra kiñcid vyadṛśyata | bāṇāndhakāre mahati kṛte tatra mahāhave ||
Sañjaya said: In that great battle, when a vast darkness was created by the shower of arrows, nothing at all could be seen there—neither of the Pāṇḍavas’ forces nor ours. The scene conveys how war’s violence can eclipse discernment itself, reducing even mighty armies to confusion and blindness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extreme violence in war can overwhelm clarity and judgment: the ‘darkness’ made by arrows symbolizes not only physical obscurity but also the moral and practical confusion that arises when conflict becomes all-consuming.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the arrow-storm became so dense it produced a great darkness on the battlefield, making it impossible to distinguish either side—neither the Pāṇḍavas’ forces nor the Kauravas’ were visible.
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