Shloka 23
संसर्पन्तो रणे केचिचन्निद्रान्धास्ते तथा परान् । जघ्नु: शूरा रणे शूरांस्तस्मिंस्तमसि दारुणे,कुछ शूरवीर निद्रान्ध होकर भी रणभूमिमें विचरते थे और उस दारुण अन्धकारमें शत्रुपक्षके शूरवीरोंका वध कर डालते थे
saṃsarpanto raṇe kecic channidrāndhās te tathā parān | jaghnuḥ śūrā raṇe śūrāṃs tasmiṃs tamasi dāruṇe ||
সেই দাৰুণ অন্ধকাৰত কিছুমান যোদ্ধা নিদ্ৰাই যেন অন্ধ কৰি পেলালেও ৰণভূমিত ঘূৰি ফুৰিছিল আৰু তাতেই শত্ৰুপক্ষৰ বীৰসকলক বধ কৰিছিল; যুদ্ধৰ ঘনঘটাত বীৰে বীৰকেই সংহাৰ কৰিলে।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can continue even when awareness and discernment are impaired—here symbolized by sleep-blindness and darkness—raising an ethical warning: when clarity is lost, violence becomes indiscriminate and the line between valor and blind destruction thins.
Sañjaya describes a chaotic night-battle scene: despite being dazed as if asleep and surrounded by dreadful darkness, some fighters keep moving through the field and kill opposing warriors; it is a depiction of confused, relentless combat where heroes on both sides fall.