Shloka 33
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सैन्यप्रशंसा, भेदनवृत्तान्त-प्रश्नः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Praise of the Host and Inquiry after the Breach
सशैलसागरवनां नानाजनपदाकुलाम् । ग्रसेद् व्यूह: क्षितिं सर्वामिति भूतानि मेनिरे,उस समय समस्त प्राणी ऐसा मानने लगे कि वह व्यूह पर्वत, समुद्र और काननोंसहित अनेकानेक जनपदोंसे भरी हुई इस सारी पृथ्वीको अपना ग्रास बना लेगा
saśailasāgaravanāṃ nānājanapadākulām | grased vyūhaḥ kṣitiṃ sarvām iti bhūtāni menire ||
Sañjaya sprach: In jenem Augenblick meinten alle Wesen, die Schlachtordnung werde die ganze Erde verschlingen—angefüllt mit zahllosen Reichen und Völkern—samt Bergen, Meeren und Wäldern, als wäre sie ihre Beute.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war, when organized into an overwhelming military machine (vyūha), appears capable of consuming not only armies but the very fabric of society and nature. Ethically, it highlights the dehumanizing, totalizing momentum of conflict—where kingdoms, peoples, and the natural world seem reduced to ‘prey’ before collective violence.
Sanjaya reports the reaction of all beings to a formidable battle-formation: they believe it will engulf the whole earth, with its mountains, oceans, forests, and many populated realms. The line functions as a vivid hyperbole to convey the terrifying scale and inevitability felt on the battlefield.