Shloka 14
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
स संनिपातस्तुमुलस्तस्य तेषां च भारत । अभवत् सर्वसैन्यानामभावकरणो महान्
sa sannipātastumulastasya teṣāṃ ca bhārata | abhavat sarvasainyānām abhāvakaraṇo mahān ||
Sañjaya sprach: O Bhārata, der Zusammenprall seiner Scharen mit den ihren wurde zu einem tobenden, überwältigenden Handgemenge—so gewaltig, dass er den Heeren ringsum Verderben und Vernichtung brachte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical tragedy of war: once armies collide in a full melee (sannipāta), violence escalates beyond control and becomes indiscriminate, producing widespread destruction. It implicitly warns that collective conflict, driven by rivalry and wrath, tends toward annihilation rather than righteous resolution.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing forces met in a fierce, noisy, close-quarters clash. The encounter grew so intense that it became a great cause of devastation for the armies on both sides.