Shloka 68
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
विबभौ तद् रणस्थानं स्यन्दमानैरिवाचलै: । नानारागै: कम्बलैश्व परिस्तोमैश्नव दन्तिनाम्
vibabhau tad raṇasthānaṃ syandamānair ivācalaiḥ | nānārāgaiḥ kambalaiś ca paristomaiś caiva dantinām ||
Sañjaya sprach: Jenes Schlachtfeld glänzte strahlend, als strömten Berge herab—geschmückt durch vielfarbige Decken und feine Überwürfe, die über die Elefanten gebreitet waren.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly contrasts the grandeur and pageantry of armies with the grim reality of war: material splendor can mask, but not remove, the ethical weight and suffering that battle brings.
Sañjaya is describing the appearance of the battlefield, emphasizing how it looked magnificent due to the richly colored blankets and coverings on the elephants, creating an image of massive, mountain-like forms in motion.