Shloka 26
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्
Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement
शस्त्राणां भरतश्रेष्ठ मनुष्याणां च गर्जताम् | सुमहानभवच्छब्द: प्रेतानामिव भारत,भरतश्रेष्ठ! शस्त्रोंके आघात और मनुष्योंकी गर्जनाका महान् शब्द भूत-प्रेतोंकी गर्जनाके समान जान पड़ता था
śastrāṇāṃ bharataśreṣṭha manuṣyāṇāṃ ca garjatām | sumahān abhavac chabdaḥ pretānām iva bhārata ||
Sañjaya sprach: O Bester der Bharatas, als die Waffen aufeinanderprallten und die Männer brüllten, erhob sich ein gewaltiger Lärm — wie das Heulen von Geistern unter den Toten.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: when violence erupts, the human world begins to resemble the realm of death. The comparison to pretas highlights how warfare dehumanizes and fills the scene with fear, reminding the listener of the ethical cost and the proximity of death.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the sensory intensity of the battle: the clash of weapons and the roaring of warriors combine into an immense, terrifying noise, likened to the cries of spirits—signaling that the fighting has become fierce and deadly.