Shloka 13
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
तमेकं॑ बहुधापश्यन् मोहितास्तस्य तेजसा । रथैरविमथितैश्वैव भग्ननीडैश्व मारिष
tam ekaṁ bahudhā paśyan mohitās tasya tejasā | rathair avimathitaiś caiva bhagnanīḍaiś ca māriṣa ||
Sañjaya sprach: Als sie jenen einen Krieger sahen, als erscheine er in vielen Gestalten, wurden die Kämpfer vom Glanz seiner Energie verwirrt. O Ehrwürdiger, ihre Wagen blieben unerschüttert und unversehrt, doch ihre Formationen und Stützen zerbrachen—wie zerschlagene Nester—unter dem Druck seiner überwältigenden Macht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary power (tejas) can produce moha—confusion and misperception—even among seasoned warriors. Ethically, it warns that in war, psychological collapse and loss of discernment can be as decisive as physical defeat.
Sanjaya describes the battlefield effect of a single formidable fighter: opponents perceive him as if multiplied, become bewildered by his radiance and force, and though their chariots remain physically intact, their supports and battle-arrangements are broken, like shattered nests.